Looking For Legume Innoculant

Smithson · March 16, 2012

Does anyone know where to get legume innoculant? I've planted several varieties of legumes, some of which have developed the nitrogen fixing nodules while others haven't. Cow manure was used where ever I planted, but still about half the planted areas don't have nodules.

If an innoculant can't be bought, is there someway I can use the plants or soil from the areas with nodules to spread the necessary bacteria to other areas?

rice555 · March 16, 2012

Hello Smithson, there's an older farming thread I think started by

PondLife on this subject, with sources.

I only know US sources. PVF at groworganic.com is one, and I think

Dr. Treelove knows this place! I don't know if they ship Int.???

Johnny's does ship Int. From your keyboard to you.

http://www.johnnyseeds.com/

rice555

IsaanAussie · March 16, 2012

Compost my son, compost. A drier mix will produce more fungal microbes. You can also use worm castings or the residual compost from the worm beds. EM and a little fish extract in an aerated compost tea as a soil drench is another to try to "fix" the nitrogen issue. Anything to get the microbes working with the roots.

Edited March 16, 2012 by IsaanAussie

WatersEdge · March 18, 2012

Hi Smithson and friends,

It is my understanding that legume innoculants are host species specific.

Yes...say that one three times fast...I'm rather tongue tied to start with.

The only name that comes to mind is the Soybean nitrogen fixing bacteria Bradyrhizobium japonicum.

Pick a legume...it has a bacterial partner,

which if not introduced in some way to a field missing it

cannot magically appear by random.

From a bit on the seed, or from a carrying live plant from another field, or by cultured material

or even dry roots from another field could be expected to "infect" in a positive way, the soil.

Think of innoculant bacteria as similar to yeast, just with a different purpose.

Just as there are species of yeast, there also are many species of legume innoculant.

I note and point out in your statement...some species have nodules and some do not.

This bears evidence of my point.

Your soil is already infected with the bacteria species for the nodulized plants,

but not yet infected for the non-nodulized species.

I asked my Thailand fertilizer dealer some years ago to find B. japonicum,

and she did find it at an Ag University,

but it's been far too long ago for me to remember which University.

I'm now in the US,

where many things are more available,

if the crops happen to be common to US agriculture

Soybean, Pinto Bean, Alfalfa, Peanut...to quickly list the majors

An interesting related topic is that some plants not technically legumes,

apparently have a symbiotic relationship with bacteria,

causing the pair of them to fix nitrogen

I'm admittedly in over my head on this topic,

but once I was soundly corrected when I said Sweet Potato is a legume.

It is NOT a legume, but there is a symbiosis which has the same effect.

Don't ask me to elaborate, the man who corrected me I wish was available to teach us now.

David Peters · June 25, 2012

Hi Smithson and friends,

It is my understanding that legume innoculants are host species specific.

Yes...say that one three times fast...I'm rather tongue tied to start with.

The only name that comes to mind is the Soybean nitrogen fixing bacteria Bradyrhizobium japonicum.

Pick a legume...it has a bacterial partner,

which if not introduced in some way to a field missing it

cannot magically appear by random.

From a bit on the seed, or from a carrying live plant from another field, or by cultured material

or even dry roots from another field could be expected to "infect" in a positive way, the soil.

Think of innoculant bacteria as similar to yeast, just with a different purpose.

Just as there are species of yeast, there also are many species of legume innoculant.

I note and point out in your statement...some species have nodules and some do not.

This bears evidence of my point.

Your soil is already infected with the bacteria species for the nodulized plants,

but not yet infected for the non-nodulized species.

I asked my Thailand fertilizer dealer some years ago to find B. japonicum,

and she did find it at an Ag University,

but it's been far too long ago for me to remember which University.

I'm now in the US,

where many things are more available,

if the crops happen to be common to US agriculture

Soybean, Pinto Bean, Alfalfa, Peanut...to quickly list the majors

An interesting related topic is that some plants not technically legumes,

apparently have a symbiotic relationship with bacteria,

causing the pair of them to fix nitrogen

I'm admittedly in over my head on this topic,

but once I was soundly corrected when I said Sweet Potato is a legume.

It is NOT a legume, but there is a symbiosis which has the same effect.

Don't ask me to elaborate, the man who corrected me I wish was available to teach us now.

Every kind of legume rhizobium can be purchased at Kasetsart Univerity.

rice555 · June 25, 2012

Hello All, David, how bout contact info? Phone #?

so we don't have to do all the leg work again?

rice555

David Peters · June 26, 2012

Not sure which legume rihizobium you want.

Here is the Thailand list.

Thailand

ABKMI

WDCM698

Department of Applied Biology, Faculty of science

BBPP

WDCM705

Bacteriology Branch, Plant Pathology and Microbiology Division, Department of Agricultural Science

BCC

WDCM783

BIOTEC Culture Collection

BSMB

WDCM491

Bacteriology and Soil Microbiology Branch

CHULA

WDCM511

Microbiology Department Faculty of Science

CISM

WDCM75

NifTAL Rhizobium Collection (Asia Center)

CMKKU

WDCM684

Clinical Diagnostic Microbiology Srinagarind Hospital, Faculty of Medicine

DBKKU1

WDCM687

Department of Biology, Faculty of Science

DBKKU2

WDCM688

Department of Biology, Faculty of Science

DBKKU3

WDCM689

Department of Biology, Faculty of Science

DBMU

WDCM493

Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University

DBMU2

WDCM667

Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Science

DBMU2

WDCM763

Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University

DMCMU2

WDCM694

Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine

DMCU

WDCM663

Microbiology Department, Faculty of Science

DMIV

WDCM64

Department of Microbiology and Immunology

DMKKU1

WDCM680

Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine

DMKKU2

WDCM681

Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medical Science

DMKU

WDCM669

Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science

DMMU1

WDCM666

Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science

DMMU3

WDCM668

Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital

DMST

WDCM707

Department of Medical Sciences Culture Collection

ERAEP

WDCM706

Radiation Ecology Section, Biological Science Division, Office of Atomic Energy for Peace

FTCMU

WDCM690

Department of Food Science and Technology, Faculty of Agriculture

IFRPD

WDCM676

Institute of Food Research and Product Development, Kasetsart University

KCCC

WDCM969

Culture Collection of Soybean Rhizobia and Green Microalgae

KKU

WDCM23

MICKKU Culture Collection

KUFC

WDCM677

Kasetsart University Fungus Collection, Department of Plant Pathology, Faculty of Agriculture

MBMU

WDCM665

IMBG

MLLD

WDCM702

Microbiological Research Laboratory, Soil and Water Section, Department of Land Development

MLMJI

WDCM701

Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agricultural Production

MLRU

WDCM695

Microbiology Laboratory, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science

MPSU

WDCM492

Department of Microbiology

MSCMU

WDCM692

Microbiology Section, Chiang Mai University (MSCMU)

MSDS

WDCM494

Microbiology Section, Biological Science Division, Department of Science Services

MSPP

WDCM704

Mycology Section, Plant Pathology and Microbiology Division, Department of Agricultural Science

MSU

WDCM809

Acetobacter

MTKKU

WDCM685

Department of Clinical Microbiology, Faculty of Medical Technology

NCSC

WDCM664

National Center of Streptococcus Collection, Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medical Science

NRPSU

WDCM679

Department of Agro-industry, Faculty of Natural Resources

NU

WDCM696

Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science

PCU

WDCM662

Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences

PPKMI

WDCM699

Plant Production Technology Department, Faculty of Agricultural Technology

PPKU1

WDCM670