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Nodulation Specificity of Aspalathus linearis subsp. linearis, a Shrub Tea Legume Indigenous to the Western Cape

1998; Springer Nature (Netherlands); Linguagem: Inglês

10.1007/978-94-011-5159-7_428

0924-1949

Felix D. Dakora,

Agronomic Practices and Intercropping Systems

Aspalathus linearis subsp. linearis (A. l. subsp. linearis) is a shrub legume found solely in the Cape region of South Africa. The export of its leaves and twigs as "Rooibos tea" earns about $10 million annually to the South African economy. The genus Aspalathus, to which A. l. subsp. linearis belongs, consists of 245 species. These species are nodulated by Bradyrhizobium bacteria (Staphorst, Strijdom 1975). The aim of this study was to examine the nodulation of A. l. subsp. linearis with native bacteria in soils collected from nine different localities throughout South Africa and Namibia, and to test cross-infectivity by bradyrhizobial isolates and standard laboratory strains.