Symbionts in Mucuna pruriens stimulate plant performance through nitrogen fixation and improved phosphorus acquisition

Aims South Africa is mainly dominated by savanna and grasslands ecosystems which have been previously reported to be acidic and nutrient deficient, specifically with regard to phosphorus (P) and nitrogen (N).Mucuna pruriens(L.) DC, commonly known as velvet bean, is an indigenous legume in most African countries and has been reported to withstand these adverse soil conditions. The legume is used in many countries of the world for their medicinal value as well as for soil fertilization purposes. Although there are reports onM. pruriensgrowth and establishment in nutrient stressed ecosystems, no investigation has been conducted onM. prurienssymbiotic interactions, N source preference and associated growth carbon costs when subjected to P deficiency. In this study, we determined the impact of microbial symbionts on N nutrition and growth carbon costs ofM. pruriensunder P deficiency.