14.14 “Soil Inoculation for Legumes; Reports upon
the Successful Use of Artificial Cultures by Practical
Farmers” by George Moore, 1905
George T. Moore (1905) studied the culturing and then agricultural application of
root nodulation bacteria for assisting the productivity of legume crops. Historically,
soil transfer had been proven beneficial to provide the appropriate microbes for
achieving effective root nodulation in legumes. However, soil transfer also can result
in the inadvertent movement of pathogens that cause such plant diseases as wilts and
blights.
Moore noted that some strains of rhizobial bacteria produced nodules but did not
benefit nitrogen assimilation by leguminous crops. Interestingly, some other bacterial strains seemed to fix nitrogen without the formation of root nodules.
Experimentally, Moore tested nodule-forming bacteria isolated from the common
pea (Pisum sativum), grew that isolate for 2 weeks in nitrogen-free media, and then
used that culture for experimentally inoculating seeds of: Crimson clover (Trifolium
incarnatum), red clover (Trifolium pratense), white clover (Trifolium repens), berseem clover (Trifolium alexandrinum), alsike clover (Trifolium hybridum), sweet
clover (Melilotus albus), cowpea (Vigna unguiculata), alfalfa (Medicago sativa),
broad bean also called fava bean (Vicia faba), common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris),
fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum), hairy vetch (Vicia villosa), scarlet vetch
(Astragalus coccineus), yellow vetch (Vicia lutea), blue lupine (Lupinus
angustifolius), and white lupine (Lupinus albus).
In every case, with exception of the lupines, Moore’s cultured bacteria successfully resulted in the production of root nodules.
This agricultural bulletin also provided a summary of field reports from different
farmers who used a dried product containing Moore’s culture of microorganisms to
facilitate root nodulation and thus to promote growth and productivity of: alfalfa,
beans (wax beans, green beans, refugee beans, and green podded bush beans all of
which are different varieties of Phaseolus vulgaris), berseem clover, cowpea, field
and garden peas (Pisum sativum), hairy vetch, peanut (Arachis hypogaea), red
clover, soybean (Glycine max), sweet pea (presumably Lathyrus odoratus, but
only the common name was given and that could have been reference to a variety
of Pisum sativum), and velvet bean (Mucuna pruriens).
14.15 “Isolation of Bacillus Radicicola from Soil” by
Charles Bernard Lipman and Lawrence Fowler, 1915
Charles Bernard Lipman and Lawrence W. Fowler (1915) reported in this publication their discovery that Bacillus Radicicola was a natural soil organism. Lipman and
Fowler found the microbe could be isolated from soil, grown in laboratory medium,
and then a suspension of the cultured bacteria successfully used to inoculate sterile
232
C. J. Hurst
the Successful Use of Artificial Cultures by Practical
Farmers” by George Moore, 1905
George T. Moore (1905) studied the culturing and then agricultural application of
root nodulation bacteria for assisting the productivity of legume crops. Historically,
soil transfer had been proven beneficial to provide the appropriate microbes for
achieving effective root nodulation in legumes. However, soil transfer also can result
in the inadvertent movement of pathogens that cause such plant diseases as wilts and
blights.
Moore noted that some strains of rhizobial bacteria produced nodules but did not
benefit nitrogen assimilation by leguminous crops. Interestingly, some other bacterial strains seemed to fix nitrogen without the formation of root nodules.
Experimentally, Moore tested nodule-forming bacteria isolated from the common
pea (Pisum sativum), grew that isolate for 2 weeks in nitrogen-free media, and then
used that culture for experimentally inoculating seeds of: Crimson clover (Trifolium
incarnatum), red clover (Trifolium pratense), white clover (Trifolium repens), berseem clover (Trifolium alexandrinum), alsike clover (Trifolium hybridum), sweet
clover (Melilotus albus), cowpea (Vigna unguiculata), alfalfa (Medicago sativa),
broad bean also called fava bean (Vicia faba), common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris),
fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum), hairy vetch (Vicia villosa), scarlet vetch
(Astragalus coccineus), yellow vetch (Vicia lutea), blue lupine (Lupinus
angustifolius), and white lupine (Lupinus albus).
In every case, with exception of the lupines, Moore’s cultured bacteria successfully resulted in the production of root nodules.
This agricultural bulletin also provided a summary of field reports from different
farmers who used a dried product containing Moore’s culture of microorganisms to
facilitate root nodulation and thus to promote growth and productivity of: alfalfa,
beans (wax beans, green beans, refugee beans, and green podded bush beans all of
which are different varieties of Phaseolus vulgaris), berseem clover, cowpea, field
and garden peas (Pisum sativum), hairy vetch, peanut (Arachis hypogaea), red
clover, soybean (Glycine max), sweet pea (presumably Lathyrus odoratus, but
only the common name was given and that could have been reference to a variety
of Pisum sativum), and velvet bean (Mucuna pruriens).
14.15 “Isolation of Bacillus Radicicola from Soil” by
Charles Bernard Lipman and Lawrence Fowler, 1915
Charles Bernard Lipman and Lawrence W. Fowler (1915) reported in this publication their discovery that Bacillus Radicicola was a natural soil organism. Lipman and
Fowler found the microbe could be isolated from soil, grown in laboratory medium,
and then a suspension of the cultured bacteria successfully used to inoculate sterile
232
C. J. Hurst