Inoculated Legumes and Revegetation/Roadside Plantings

In response to the vast loss of prairie area in western and southern Minnesota and the concern over plant genetic loss and soil erosion that resulted, this study set to determine the success of prairie reconstruction along Minnesota roadways. Areas around rest stops on major highways were seeded with prairie plants. As nitrogen is commonly limited in natural environments, legumes- known for their ability to fix nitrogen in symbiosis were included in the prairie reconstruction plant mixes. However, not all of the land area contains sufficient rhizobia to maintain the legumes. Therefore, inoculation with rhizobia was necessary. The predominate goal of this study was the establishment, inoculation and continuing observation for traits associated with nodulation and nitrogen fixation of prairie lands of different ages at the University of Minnesota Sandplain Experiment Station in Becker, Minnesota. The area was then monitored for plant development and survival.