This study evaluated 26 pigeonpea rhizobial isolates according to their cultural characteristics, intrinsic antibiotic resistance, salt and temperature tolerance, carbon source utilization and amylolytic activity. The cultural characterization showed that the majority of them presented the ability to acidify the YMA. Among the 27 isolates evaluated, 25 were able to grow when incubated at 42° C and 11 showed tolerance to 3% (w/v) of NaCl in YMA medium. The patterns of carbon sources utilization was very diverse among the isolates. It was observed the capacity of three strains to metabolize all the carbon sources evaluated and a total of 42% of the bacterial isolates was able to grow in the culture medium supplemented with at least, six carbon sources. The carbon sources mannitol (control) and sucrose were metabilized by all isolates evaluated. The profile of intrinsic resistance to antibiotics showed that the isolates were mostly resistant to streptomycin and ampicillin, but susceptible to kanamycin and chloranphenicol. High amylolytic activity of, at least, four isolates was also demonstrated, especially for isolated 47.3b, which showed the highest enzymatic index. These results indicate the metabolic versatility of the pigeonpea rhizobia, and indicates the isolate 47.3b to further studies regarding the amylase production and characterization.

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a eficiência agronômica da formulação polimérica IPC 2.2 como veículo de inoculação para feijão-caupi. Foi avaliada a sobrevivência de células aos 180 dias de armazenamento. Em experimento de campo, comparou-se a formulação polimérica com a turfosa e a líquida e com adubação nitrogenada de 50 e 80 kg ha-¹ de N e um controle absoluto. A formulação IPC 2.2 manteve concentração de células superior a 109 g-1 após 180 dias e, em campo, proporcionou produtividade de grãos superior à do controle absoluto e igual à dos tratamentos nitrogenados e veículos turfoso e líquido.

The objective of this work was to evaluate the agronomic efficiency of the polymer formulation IPC 2.2 as a carrier for inoculation in cowpea. Cell survival at 180 days storage was evaluated. The polymer formulation was compared with peat and liquid carriers and with nitrogen rates of 50 and 80 kg ha-1 N and absolute control, in a field experiment. The formulation IPC 2.2 kept a cell concentration higher than 10(9) g-1, after 180 days and, in the field experiment, it provided a yield higher than that of the treatment absolute and equal to those of the nitrogen treatments and to the peat and liquid carriers.

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a produção e o comportamento reológico de exopolissacarídeos (EPS) produzidos por rizóbios isolados de nódulos de guandu [Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp.], e a similaridade desses isolados, pela técnica de análise de restrição do DNA ribossomal amplificado. As bactérias foram cultivadas em meio YM líquido e os EPS foram obtidos por precipitação com etanol gelado a partir do caldo de cultivo. Em seguida, eles foram recuperados por centrifugação, secados a vácuo, pesados e ressuspensos em água para avaliações reológicas. Os três isolados avaliados apresentaram diferenças na produção e na eficiência relativa da produção de EPS, com destaque para o isolado 8.1c. Os EPS demonstraram comportamento não newtoniano e pseudoplástico, porém também apresentaram diferenças na viscosidade aparente em uma mesma taxa de cisalhamento. Na taxa de cisalhamento de 1 s-1, os três isolados foram diferentes, enquanto na taxa de cisalhamento de 40 s-1, os isolados 53.5 e 30.6a2 foram iguais e diferiram do isolado 8.1c. A similaridade dos isolados foi condizente com os resultados de reologia dos EPS, em que bactérias que sintetizaram EPS com menor viscosidade aparente apresentaram maior similaridade

The objective of this work was to evaluate the production and the rheological behavior of exopolysaccharides (EPS) produced by pigeonpea [Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp.] rhizobia isolates, as well as to evaluate the similarity of these isolates through amplified ribosomal DNA restriction analysis technique. The bacteria were cultured in YM liquid media and the EPS were precipited with cold ethanol from culture broth. After that, they were vacuum dried, weighted, stored and resuspended in water to rheological evaluations. The three evaluated isolates showed differences on the production and productivity of EPS, and the isolate 8.1c stood out, with higher relative efficiency. The evaluated EPS showed non-newtonian and pseudoplastic behavior, however they also presented differences as to the apparent viscosity at the same shear rate. At the shear rate of 1 s-1 all isolates were different, while at the shear rate of 40 s-1 the isolates 53.5 and 30.6a2 were the same, differing from the isolate 8.1c. Genetic similarity of the isolates was in agreement with the rheology results, where bacteria that synthesized EPS with lower apparent viscosity presented the higher similarity

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a eficiência de misturas poliméricas de carboximetilcelulose (CMC) e amido, como veículos de inoculante para rizóbios, quanto à sua capacidade de manter células rizobianas viáveis e promover a nodulação em feijão-caupi (Vigna unguiculata). O delineamento experimental foi completamente casualizado, com três repetições. Quarenta diferentes composições poliméricas de carboximetilcelulose (CMC) e amido, compatibilizadas ou não com proporções de MgO ou ZnO, foram inicialmente avaliadas quanto à sua capacidade de manter células rizobianas viáveis pelo período de um mês. Posteriormente, veículos de inoculantes selecionados foram avaliados quanto à capacidade de manter células rizobianas viáveis pelo período de 165 dias, e seu desempenho como veículos de inoculantes foi comparado com os de inoculantes turfosos, em casa de vegetação. Células rizobianas sobreviveram melhor em misturas com 50-60% de CMC. Os agentes compatibilizantes não aumentaram a sobrevivência das células rizobianas após 30 dias de estocagem. A nodulação do feijão-caupi com o uso das misturas poliméricas não diferiu estatisticamente da nodulação com o uso da turfa. As misturas de CMC/amido, quando compatibilizadas com MgO (1%), são veículos eficientes para inoculantes rizobianos por até 165 dias de armazenamento.

The aim of this work was to evaluate the efficiency of carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) and starch blends as carrier materials of rhizobial inoculants regarding their capacity to maintain viable cells and promote cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) nodulation. The experimental design adopted was completely randomized, with three replicates. Forty different compositions of carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) with starch, compatibilized or not with different proportions of MgO or ZnO, were evaluated regarding their ability of maintaining rhizobial viable cells during the storage period of one month at room temperature, in an initial screening. Thereafter, selected inoculant carrier blends were evaluated regarding their ability to maintain viable rhizobial cells for a period of 165 days, and their performance as inoculant carriers was compared to a peat-based inoculant carrier under greenhouse conditions. Rhizobial cells were better maintained in blends containing 50-60% CMC. Compatibilizing agents did not increase survival of rhizobial cells for 30 days of storage. The cowpea nodulation of polymer blends was statistically the same of peat-based inoculants. CMC/starch polymer blends are efficient carriers to rhizobial inoculants for up to 165 days of storage, when compatibilized with MgO (1%).