Summary
In connection with the as yet unexplained gains in nitrogen in young grassland, the phyllosphere of grasses, in particularTripsacum laxum Nash, has been studied on the experimental farm and in the laboratories of the ORSTOM (Organisation de Recherches Scientifiques Tropicales Outre-Mer) at Adiopodoumé (Ivory Coast, West Africa). Considerable concentrations of sugars were observed in rain water and dew (14–200 ppm) and in the stem run-off (up to 465 ppm). The values were exceeded by those of the moisture in the leaf sheaths (up to 104 ppm), which thus form a special milieu for nitrogen-fixing elements. The composition of the microbial population depends on the physical state of the leaves concerned,viz age, climate, and weather conditions. The population consists mainly of Gram-negative rods, yeasts, and coryneform bacteria. The possible significance of the nitrogen fixation in grassland is discussed.
The investigation is being continued in the Microbiological Laboratory at Wageningen.
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Ruinen, J. The phyllosphere. Plant Soil 33, 661–671 (1970). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01378255
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01378255