NUMERICAL TAXONOMY OF RHIZOBIUM STRAINS FROM LEGUMES OF THE TEMPERATE ZONE

Phenotypic properties (growth characteristics, utilization of carbon and nitrogen sources, and intrinsic antibiotic resistance) of 53 Rhizobium strains isolated from root nodules of the temperate-zone legumes Astragalus spp. (29 strains), Oxytropis campanulata (7 strains), Hedysarum alpinum (7 strains), Ononis arvensis (3 strains), Glycyrrhiza spp. (4 strains), and Coronilla varia (3 strains) were compared with those of other Rhizobium, Bradyrhizobium, and Agrobacterium strains. The final matrix, containing 83 strains and 56 nonsymbiotic features, was used for computer cluster analysis. The dendrogram showed that the new strains of temperate-zone rhizobia formed a cluster separate from both Rhizobium and Bradyrhizobium spp. Two large groups of temperate-zone rhizobia were revealed. Group 1 included rhizobial strains originating from different geographical regions,vith a temperate climate, while group 2 included strains from the same geographical origin, South Siberia. The strains of recognized Rhizobium species were clustered, in general, with each other as expected from phylogenetic relatedness.