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rodgerwinn

rhizobacteria (on steriods)

rodger
17 years ago

An early frost ended my Limas. So I pulled the vines to make way for a cover crop of clover. To my surprise the roots were covered in what makes the legumes a legume, rhizobacteria nodules. The ability to convert nitrogen from the air into a soluble slow release fertilizer for the garden is what this bacteria does and it is stored in root nodules of all legumes and no other plant. Below is a picture of what I found as I pulled up the vines.

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and a closer view

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Comments (8)

  • momamamo
    17 years ago

    That's astonishing, Rodger! Maureen

  • tedposey
    17 years ago

    If you had cut the vines off and let those nodules decay in the ground you'd probably added as much nitrogen as the clover. Lol

  • brendan_of_bonsai
    17 years ago

    Well, by composting rather than throwing that stuff into the trashcan rodger can apply that nitrogen werever he so deems it fit.

    Fun fact, the rhizobium cannot fix nitrogen without the legume, as a soil bacteria they are but a lowly decomposer, but together a polypetide chain from the plants root nodules and a polypeptide chain from the bacteria combine to form a vital protein.

  • rodger
    Original Author
    17 years ago

    Good fact Brendan of bonsai, I till all my garden dedris in. The limas were pulled during the process of pulling out the pole and when I saw the nodules I couldn't resist taking a picture to post. So the nitrogen is not wasted. I plant my entire garden in crimson clover which is tilled under in the spring about a month before planting it serves as a green manure to add tilth and increase the microbes in the soil it is also my only source of nitrogen for the upcoming growing season.The winter clover prevents soil erosion, blocks out most winter weeds and best of a;ll fertilizes my garden. Rodger

  • zeedman Zone 5 Wisconsin
    17 years ago

    Curious... a post I made to this thread yesterday (and one other on another thread) seem to have vanished. Is it just me?

    Rodger, I certainly don't want to be the dark cloud to your silver lining... but are you certain those are rhizobacterial nodules? They appear abnormally large; I wonder if something else (such as nematodes) could have infected the roots. If you still have them, you might want to cut one of the nodules open & examine it. How did the beans attached to those roots perform for you?

    I also wonder if the limas, being perennial, could have been enlarging their roots for food storage. I've only seen that in runner beans; but then, I never examined the roots of my limas when I grew them in warmer climes... wish I had.

    If rhizobacteria _are_ responsible, those nodules could be a world record! People will be lining up to swap _soil_ with you. (LOL)

  • jimster
    17 years ago

    "Curious... a post I made to this thread yesterday (and one other on another thread) seem to have vanished. Is it just me?"

    That happens to me once in a while. I think (in my case anyway) it happens when I absentmindedly hit the line below the 'Preview Message' button, the line which says 'Return to the ... Forum'. Then, I need to remain oblivious to the fact that I never submitted the message. This can happen after I've already previewed and editted the message a couple of times.

    But that's just me, isn't it?

    Jim

  • rodger
    Original Author
    17 years ago

    Well, Jimster,emotioncom(SP)-2 thingymabob, you no what the first thing to go is. And it looks like your on the second.
    end of emotioncom(sp)-2x2 thingymabob. Rodger

  • jimster
    17 years ago

    Well, Rodger, I thought I knew what was the first thing to go, but I can't think of it just now. It will come to me later.;-)

    Jim

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