Omilia Alicea
Research Mentor: Julia Eckberg
Mentor Department: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, LSA
Author(s): Omilia Alicea, Julia Eckberg
Session: Session 1 (9:00 AM – 9:50 AM)
Presentation Type: Poster 15
Abstract
Rhizobium is a soil bacterium that has a symbiotic relationship with leguminous plants, nested in root nodules of various plant species. These nodules serve as a conduit for the relationship between rhizobia and legumes. Rhizobia help plants by taking in atmospheric nitrogen (NH4) and converting it into ammonium, which the plant can then use to form plant defenses. So when plants are inoculated with rhizobium, it should increase available nitrogen. With the added nitrogen available, we may see an increase in biomass investment. That is when clover plants (legumes) come into play. There are two genotypes of clovers: cyanogenic and acyanogenic. Meaning can produce cyanide (cyanogenic) and cannot produce cyanide (acyanogenic). Cyanide within plants helps them store nitrogen. Therefore, when cyanogenic clover plants are inoculated, it may change the amount of nitrogen held within the plant. It is important to understand this connection as it may show where the plant is storing that nitrogen in its biomass, above-ground or below-ground. So in this experiment, we took these two different cyanotype clovers and inoculated both of them with rhizobium. Upon harvesting, we separated and dried the above and below-ground biomass to be weighed. This showed that inoculated, cyanogenic clovers invested their nitrogen in their above-ground biomass. However, when compared to the non-inoculated clovers, there was no significant difference. Concluding that further research needs to be done as to the relationship between inoculation of rhizobium and cyanogenic clovers. However, we can understand that cyanogenic clovers will invest more nitrogen into their above-ground biomass.
