The effect of various aquatic bacteria on the growth and senescence of duckweed (Lemna minor)

Five different species of freshwater bacteria ( Pseudomonas sp., Vibrio sp., Klebsiella sp., Enterobacter sp., Serratia sp.) and a mixed natural population were used separately to inoculate cultures of axenic duckweed ( Lemna minor ). Inoculation with Vibrio sp. caused the final population density of Lemna plants to be significantly greater after 52 d than that of either axenic controls or Lemna inoculated with a mixed bacterial community. Inoculation with Pseudomonas sp. caused the final population density of Lemna to be significantly higher than with the mixed bacterial treatment. Inoculation of Lemna with Klebsiella sp., Enterobacter sp. or Serratia sp. resulted in higher plant populations compared with controls, but these differences were not statistically significant. The presence of a mixed community of bacteria did not significantly affect the final population density of Lemna compared with the controls. However, Lemna plants inoculated with a natural population of bacteria showed significantly higher levels of senescence compared with the other five treatments and the controls. None of the five single bacterial taxa used appeared to have any significant effect of the sensescence of duckweed.