Exploration and Selection of Rhizobium Resistance to Salinity and Its Association with Legume

Abstract

The objective of the research was to investigate the rhizobium associating with legumes that resist to high salinity. The association of rhizobium-legumes was predicted will be able to increase legumes productivity to support development of livestock, especially in coastal area. The researches was done in North Coastal of Central Java, in the Laboratory of Forage Science, and in the Laboratory of Physiology and Biochemistry, Faculty of Animal AgricultureDiponegoro University Semarang for 8 months. Root nodules of legumes were collected from coastal area of Semarang, Demak, and Jepara. Experimental method was used in this research. The design arranged in green house was a factorial experiment in the completely randomized design. The first factor werekind of isolates that consisted of I1 = without isolate, I2 = Calopogonium isolate, I3 = Leucaena isolate, and I4 = Calopogonium + Leucaena isolate. The second factor were kind of legumes, T1 = Leucaena, T2 = Calopogonium, and T3 = Centrosema. The parameters recorded were the plant height and the number of leaf. The result showed that rhizobium isolates which were isolated from Leucaen and Calopogonium, and Sesbania were resistant to high level salinity. The plant growth of legumes inoculated with rhizobium in high salinity of soil was higher than the uninoculated. The research contributes information about utility of rhizobium to legumes in saline soil. Keywords : Rhizobium, salinity, Leucaena, Calopogonium, Centrosema