Herbicide-resistant inoculant strains
View Patent ↗Exemplary embodiments are directed to a herbicide resistant N 2 -fixing microorganism and to a method for enhancing N 2 fixation by the herbicide resistant rhizobia in symbiosis with herbicide resistant or tolerant leguminous plants treated with herbicide. At least one preferred embodiment comprises mutant rhizobia strains selected based on tolerance of the broad spectrum glyphosate weed control agent, originally Roundup®. Preferred embodiments can be expected to outcompete both indigenous soil rhizobia and/or commercial rhizobia that are not resistant to the herbicide.
1. A method for enhancing the growth of a plant, the method comprising the step of administering an effective quantity of a glyphosate resistant microorganism, of the genus Bradyrhizobium , deposited as ATCC accession number PTA-10253 to the plant or in the vicinity of the plant.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the step of administering the microorganism is achieved by at least one of the following:
applying the microorganism to the seeds of the plant;
applying the microorganism to the plant;
applying the microorganism to the locus of the plant root; and
applying the microorganism by in-furrow spray.
3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising the step of applying a glyphosate-containing herbicide to the plant.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plant is a legume, resistant to glyphosate.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the legume is a soybean plant.