Isolation and phenotypic characterization of rhizobia that nodulate cowpea in the Cerrado in Tocantins State, Brazil

Depending on the nutritional characteristics and hardiness, the cowpea has become an important source of protein in North and Northeast regions of Brazil. The cowpea benefits from biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) and may receive part of the nitrogen needed for culture via symbiosis, which reduces production costs. Aiming to contribute to the optimization of the BNF in the culture of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L) Walp) in the cerrado of Tocantins, through the effectiveness of populations and diversity of rhizobia obtained in seven areas with and without crops , phenotypic isolation and characterization were performed (pH, time of growth characteristics of the colonies and mucus). We obtained 72 rhizobia and evaluated in a dendrogram showed a great diversity, with the formation of 18 groups and the five large groups with 70% similarity. The study of morphological and physiological characteristics reveals a fairly wide diversity of rhizobia and is usually related to studies at the DNA level.