Abstract
Aims
The Sub-Boreal Pine-Spruce xeric-cold (SBPSxc) biogeoclimatic region in British Columbia, Canada is characterized by weakly-developed soils, thin organic forest floor and limited plant-available nitrogen. Yet, lodgepole pine trees are thriving in this region unaffected by these nitrogen-limitations, which led us to hypothesize that endophytic nitrogen-fixing bacteria could be playing a potential role in sustaining pine tree growth.
Methods
We evaluated these endophytes in a yearlong greenhouse experiment with their native host (lodgepole pine) for in planta nitrogen-fixation (15N isotope dilution assay) and growth-promotion (length and biomass). These endophytes were also evaluated with a foreign host native to the SBPSxc region (hybrid white spruce) in another yearlong greenhouse trial.
Results
Each bacterial strain considerably enhanced seedling length and biomass of pine and spruce along with fixing significant amount of nitrogen from atmosphere (15–50%). Notably, Caballeronia sordidicola HP-S1r strain fixed 49–50% of the host nitrogen from atmosphere and enhanced seedling length and biomass by up to 1.5-fold and 4-fold, respectively.
Conclusions
Endophytic bacteria could be playing a crucial role in the survival of lodgepole pine trees in the SBPSxc region by providing them with significant amounts of fixed nitrogen. Their effectiveness with a foreign host (hybrid white spruce) shows the lack of plant x microbe specificity, indicating their potential role in supporting the growth of multiple boreal forest trees.
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Acknowledgments
This study was supported through funding from Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Discovery Grant (RGPIN 41832–13) to CPC. AP was supported by Li Tze Fong Memorial Fellowship (Affiliated Fellowship), Four-year Doctoral Fellowship and Mary and David Macaree Fellowship, and KPP received Hugo E Meilicke Memorial Fellowship and Mary and David Macaree Fellowship from UBC Vancouver. The authors would like to thank Clive Dawson and Andre Bindon from the Analytical Chemistry Services Laboratory, BC Ministry of Environment & Climate Change Strategy, Victoria, BC, Canada for their assistance in the ARA experiment. This work is dedicated to Late Mr. Darshan K. Puri (1956–2014) – you were, are and always will be an inspirational figure.
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Puri, A., Padda, K.P. & Chanway, C.P. Evaluating lodgepole pine endophytes for their ability to fix nitrogen and support tree growth under nitrogen-limited conditions. Plant Soil 455, 271–287 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-020-04687-x
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-020-04687-x