Isolation, identification and characterization of nitrogen fixing endophytic bacteria and their effects on cassava production

BACKGROUND: Cassava (Manibot esculenta Crantz) is one of the most important among tuber crops. The amount of nitrogen fertilizer used for cassava production is relatively high (400 kg ha(−1)), but there are few studies on biological nitrogen fixation in this crop. Therefore, it is particularly important to study whether cassava and microorganisms have the associated nitrogen-fixing and other promoting effects of endophytic bacteria. METHODS: We screened 10 endophytic bacteria using the nitrogen-free culture method from the roots of seven cassava cultivars, and the nitrogenase activity of the A02 strain was the highest 95.81 nmol mL(−1) h(−1). The A02 strain was confirmed as Microbacteriaceae, Curtobacterium using 16S rRNA sequence alignment. The biological and morphological characteristics of strain A02 were further analyzed. RESULTS: The experimental results showed that the biomass of roots, stems, and leaves of cassava inoculated with A02 increased by 17.6%, 12.6%, and 10.3%, respectively, compared to that of the control (without A02 inoculation). These results were not only related to the secretion of auxin (IAA) and solubilization of phosphate but also in the promotion of biological nitrogen fixation of cassava leaves by strain A02. Moreover, the highest 95.81 nmol mL(−1)h(−1) of nitrogenase activity was reported in strain A02, and thus more nitrogen fixation was observed in strain A02. In conclusion, A02 is a newly discovered endophytic nitrogen-fixing bacteria in cassava that can be further used in the research of biological bacterial fertilizers.