Changes in Population Occupancy of Bradyrhizobia under Different Temperature Regimes

Abstract

To elucidate how temperature affects bradyrhizobial ecology, long-term incubations of Bradyrhizobium japonicum USDA 6^T, 38, and 123 and of Bradyrhizobium elkanii USDA 76^T were conducted under various temperature conditions. Proliferative traits in liquid culture and population occupancies in soil microcosms were compared. The occupancies of USDA 76^T and USDA 123 in soil microcosms during long-term incubation changed with the temperature conditions. These results suggest that temperature is an environmental factor affecting the ecology and occupancy of bradyrhizobia in soils.