Interactions between legumes and rhizobia under stress conditions

Abstract

Biological nitrogen fixation is an important factor contributing to the increased productivity of legume plants. However, this process may be affected by adverse conditions to plant, bacterium, or both. Suboptimal conditions in water status, salinity, pH, temperature, and the presence of chemicals and pathogens, among other factors, greatly influence the growth, survival, and metabolic activity of microorganisms and plants, and their ability to enter into symbiotic interactions. In this chapter, we review stressors in the soil and their influence on the symbiotic fixation of nitrogen and some solutions that the research provides in order to extend the cultivation of legumes in suboptimal regions.