Abstract:
Bami cultivar of alfalfa
(Medicago sativa) was inoculated with salttolerant
Sinorhizobium meliloti in solution
culture with different salt concentrations (0,
50, 75 and 100 mmoles l-1NaCl) added
immediately at the time of inoculation. The
results indicated that S. meliloti formed an
infective and effective symbiosis with
alfalfa under saline and nonsaline
conditions. Salinity significantly decreased
shoot and root dry weight, nodule weight
and mean nodule weight. Roots were more
sensitive than shoots, and N2 fixation was
more sensitive to salinity than was plant
growth. Analyses of ammonium
assimilating enzymes in the nodule showed
that glutamine synthetase appeared to be
more tolerant to salinity than glutamate
synthase, and that it limits ammonium
assimilation under saline stress.
