Potential of Rhizobium sullae–Sulla coronaria Symbiotic Biological Nitrogen Fixation to Supplement Synthetic Mineral Nitrogen in Olive Tree Fertilization

The aim of the present work is to compare olive tree nitrogen fertilization over two years of trials, using synthetic chemical fertilizers along with organic fertilizers composed of the green manure of sulla (<i>Sulla coronaria</i>) inoculated with the symbiont <i>Rhizobium sullae</i> or left uninoculated. The tests indicated that symbiotic nitrogen fixation promoted by the sulla&#8722;<i>R. sullae</i> symbiosis represents an important source of nitrogen that can replace or supplement synthetic nitrogen fertilizers for olive tree cultivation when sulla is inoculated with <i>R. sullae</i> in a soil already populated by the symbiont. Integration of the indigenous population of <i>R. sullae</i> via sulla inoculation with a selected strain yielded nodule formation in 100% of plants and produced a sufficient amount of biomass rich in nitrogen with a low C/N ratio. On the contrary, olive tree fertilization using the green manure of sulla that was not inoculated with the symbiont supplied significantly less organic nitrogen in 2017 and 2018, respectively, compared to the control. Optimal management of the multi-factorial approaches involved in green manure olive fertilization are also reported.

Abstract licence: CC BY

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