Temporal Variations in Diazotrophic Communities andnifH Transcripts Level Across the Agricultural and Fallow Land at Jaipur, Rajasthan, India.
Biological nitrogen fixation is one of the most important nutrient processes in the ecosystem. Many studies have estimated the variations in soil diazotrophic communities across the globe. To understand the dynamics of nitrogen fixing bacterial communities and their response to the environmental changes, it is important to study the temporal variability of these communities. Using DNA fingerprinting method, denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis and real time polymerase chain reaction of thenifH gene, we have found that the agricultural land harbored unique nitrogen fixing communities that revealed different temporal patterns and abundance. Variation in soil moisture, organic carbon content, ammonium and nitrate concentrations may be the main factors which influenced the diazotrophic community composition andnifH gene abundance.Azospirillumspecies were more dominant in the agricultural soil. Unique environmental factors and agricultural practices were responsible for the temporal shifts in bacterial community structures andnifH transcripts level. Our study expands understanding of the influence of environmental factors on diazotrophic population that contributes to the nitrogen pool.
Department of Zoology, University of Delhi, Delhi, 110007 India.
Sushma
S
Sharma
Department of Zoology, University of Delhi, Delhi, 110007 India.
Dileep K
DK
Singh
Biological nitrogen fixation; Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis; Diazotrophic; Real time polymerase chain reaction; Temporal; nifH