Study of cross inoculation of Rhizobium tropici with other potential soil microbes on their ability to support the growth of Soybean

Rhizobia bacteria have been well known as nitrogen-fixing bacteria which could promote the growth of soybean plants. The bacteria could establish a symbiosis living with crops and trees legume. The successful symbiosis living is normally identified by the specific compatibilities between the bacteria and host plants. However, there is a chance that the bacteria which was isolated from trees legumes could also infect and be compatible in developing the symbiosis living with crops plant such as soybean. This study aims to confirm that Rhizobium bacteria isolated from tree legume, Acacia mangium, could successfully develop the symbiosis living with soybean. In addition, this research also studies the possibility of Rhizobium bacteria in working with other potential soil microbes such as mycorrhizae and others potential microbes on supporting the growth of soybean. Green house experiment showed that Rhizobium tropici combined with other potential soil microbes could significantly support the growth of soybean. This is shown with the increase of upper plant biomass. A number of pods although the data of visible soybean seed did not make significant different. This research finally opens the possibility of using biodiversity of nitrogen-fixing microbes to be packed as an update quality biofertilizer for soybean.