Phenotypic and phylogenetic characterization of native peanut Bradyrhizobium isolates obtained from Córdoba, Argentina

Peanut is an economically important legume nodulated by slow-growing bacteria of the genus Bradyrhizobium. In this study, a collection of native slow-growing peanut rhizobial isolates from Argentina was obtained and characterized. The phenotypical characterization included the determination of the symbiotic properties, whereas the genetic and phylogenetic diversity was assessed through ERIC-PCR and sequencing of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region, as well as the dnaK and nodA genes. The results obtained indicated that peanut nodulating bradyrhizobia were phenotypically and genotypically diverse, and included locally adapted variants of B. yuanmingense and B. iriomotense carrying novel nodA alleles.