Complex Growth Regulator Increases Alfalfa Seed Production

The effects of thermophilic methane fermentation products on alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) growth, nitrogen-fixing activity, and seed production were studied in pot and field experiments. Plant treatment with the preparation at the stages of stooling and flower bud formation resulted in an increase in the root nodule weight and their nitrogen-fixing activity, the accumulation of cytokinins (zeatin and zeatin riboside), and an increase in the green mass yield and protein content, especially at a low (0.25 of the full rate) mineral nitrogen rate. Crop seed production was considerably improved during the first (pot experiments) and second (field experiments) growing seasons. The conclusion was drawn that the causes for improved alfalfa seed production were the effects of group B vitamins, phytohormones, their interaction, and the switching of metabolic pathways toward cytokinin synthesis.     

Polyphasic taxonomic analysis of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bacillus</Emphasis> sp. strain C6—the antagonist of phytopathogenic microorganisms

Polyphasic taxonomic analysis was carried out for Bacillus sp. strain C6, as the antagonist of phytopathogenic bacteria and micromycetes. The combination of cultural, morphological, physiological, and biochemical properties of the strain has enabled researchers to refer it to the Bacillus subtilis group. It has been shown that the fatty acids of the strain’s cell walls were predominantly represented by branched iso- and anteiso-C15:0 and C17:0 fatty acids (over 85%), which was typical for the Bacillus amyloliquefaciens species. The molecular genetic analysis carried out on the nucleotide sequence of the 16S rRNA gene, and the profiling of polymorphic nucleotides have enabled researchers to refer the strain in question to Bacillus amyloliquefaciens subsp. plantarum.