-E. Taylor
As we have been looking at the nitrogen contribution of cover crops for dry beans this summer we have become curious as to how cover crops may influence nodulation. This has lead to lots of digging…
Nodules are formed in beans (and other legumes) when roots sense a specific type of bacteria. Deformed root hairs develop which then are infected by the bacteria. The bacteria fixes nitrogen from the atmosphere and turns it into a form usable to plants. In return for providing the plant with this essential nutrient, the plant provides the bacteria with sugars essentials to bacterial growth and reproduction. This is an example of a symbiotic relationship as both parties (plant and bacteria) benefit from the interaction. For more information regarding nodule formation please visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhizobia
