• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.157-165
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• 1986

This experiment was conducted to find out the some physiological characteristics and nitrogen fixation activities under free-living conditions of indigenous rhizobia isolated from soybean-cultivated (30 fields) and un-cultivated (30 fields) soil. The results were summerized as follows: 1. In free-living condition, only 12.8% and 6.4% of the indigenous rhizobia isolated from soybean cultivated (133 strains) and un-cultivated (125 strains) soils were nitrogenase positive as more than 4 n mole $C_2H_4$ per tube per hour by acetylene reduction assay. 2. The acid-producing rhizobia on litmus milk test was observed to be 20% of the total 160 strains isolated from soybean cultivated soil but about 34% of 166 strains isolated from un-cultivated soil. And the serum zone positive strains were higher in the soybean un-cultivated soil than cultivated soil. 3. The population ratio of fast-to slow-growing indigenous rhizobia based on growth pattern of AMA medium was 35.6% to 64.4% of the total 346 strains. 4. The population of indigenous Rhizobium japonicum counted by MPN method was ranged from $9.2{\times}10^2$ cells per gram of soil in soybean un-cultivated soil to $2.3{\times}10^4$ cells per gram of soil soybean cultivated soil. The number of indigenous R. japonicum in 0-10cm depth of surface layer was higher than low layer.