Mucuna species are widely used as green manure, and little information is available about rhizobia that can nodulate them. The objective of this study was to evaluate the diversity and ability of bacteria isolated from symbiotic nodules of velvet bean (Mucuna pruriens (L.) DC.) and Mucuna deeringiana (Bort.) Merr. From the nodules of either mucuna species, grown in pots with soils from an agroecological system, 80 bacteria were isolated. The selected bacteria were classified and used to assess the symbiotic capacity. The diversity assessment of the isolates was based on cultural characteristics on YMA medium and the technique of restriction analysis of PCR products of 16S rDNA. The inoculation of Mucuna pruriens with five and Mucuna deeringiana with two isolates increased the aboveground biomass. Most isolates grew rapidly and acidified the culture medium. Restriction analysis showed low similarity of the reference strains with the bacterial isolates, suggesting the existence of isolates belonging to new groups that are able to nodulate the two mucuna species.
green manure; strain selection; biological nitrogen fixation; inoculant; Rhizobium
