Enhanced competitiveness for nodulation of Medicago sativa by Rhizobium meliloti transconjugants harbouring the root-inducing plasmids of Agrobacterium rhizogenes strain 15834

The root-inducing plasmid of Agrobacterium rhizogenes strain 15834 marked with transposon Tn5-mob RP4-4 with a helper plasmid was mobilized into nitrogen-fixing Rhizobium meliloti strain CIAM 1759. The resulting transconjugants did not induce ‘hairy’ root syndrome but developed nitrogen-fixing nodules on alfalfa. Among the 9 transconjugants tested, 6 strains had increased modulation rates. The competitiveness of 2 of these R. meliloti (pRi) strains was significantly enhanced as compared with the parent strain CIAM 1759; this was confirmed both in tube and in pot tests.