Stimulation of root exudation of rice seedlings by Azospirillum strains: carbon budget under gnotobiotic conditions

The association of rice seedlings (cv. Delta) with different strains of Azospirillum was studied under monoxenic conditions in the dark. Axenic 3-day-old seedlings were obtained on a C- and N-free medium and inoculated with 6 · 107 bacteria per plant in a closed vial. Seven days later, different components of a carbon budget were evaluated on them and on sterile controls: respired CO2, carbon of shoot and roots, bacterial and soluble carbon in the medium. Two strains (A. lipoferum 4B and A. brasilense A95) isolated from the rhizosphere of rice caused an increase in exudation, + 36% and + 17% respectively compared with sterile control. Shoot carbon incorporation and respiration were reduced by inoculation. A third strain (A. brasilense R07) caused no significant change in exudation. A. lipoferum B7C isolated from maize did not stimulate rice exudation either. We further investigated a possible effect of nitrogen fixation on this phenomenon: inhibition of nitrogen fixation by 10% C2H2 did not modify the extent of C exudation by rice associated with A. lipoferum 4B or with the non-motile A. lipoferum 4T.