Demonstrated in vitro activity of nitrogenase (C2H2) rhizosphere microorganisms in sugarcane

The sugar cane (Saccharum officinarum L.) and rice (Oryza sativa var K 017) production improvement is an urgency for tropical developing countries. In order to investigate the associative N2 fixing activity by rhizospheric microorganisms, experiments were made on Sugar cane and rice cultivated in Zaire. In vitro evidence of the Acetylene Reduction Activity (ARA) was obtained from root pe ices of sugar cane and rice seedlings (six weeks old) growing on synthetic medium supplemented with rhizospheric soil dilutions. The determined ARA was higher in root cane samples than in rice seedling cultures.