Acacia senegal (L.) Wild. Associates with a Diversity of Beneficial Micro-symbionts in the Arid and Semi-arid Lands of Kenya

Aims: To determine the populations and diversity of beneficial microsymbionts (rhizobia and mycorrhiza) which associates with Acacia senegal varieties at selected sites in semi-arid areas of Kenya. Place and Duration of Study: Kenya Forestry Research Institute (KEFRI) Biotechnology Laboratories and selected semi-arid sites of Kenya, between 2009 and 2010. Methodology: We estimated rhizobia populations, identified mycorhiza abundance and diversity and estimated plant growth of A. senegal plants grown in soils collected from the selected semi-arid sites. Results: Rhizobia populations were generally low, below 30 cells.g -1 soil, in most of the sites but were relatively higher in areas with high forest cover such as Kimalel (559 cells.g - soil) and