Agronomic and environmental aspects of diazotrophic bacteria in rice fields

• DOI: 10.1007/s13213-015-1154-6
• Publication Date: 2015-09-25T01:54:57Z
• Authors: Michele Pittol; Lisa Durso; Victor Hugo Valiati; Lidia Mariana Fiuza
• Keywords: Agroecosystem; Paddy field; Biofertilizer

This article provides an overview of the free-living and plant-associated nitrogen (N)-fixing bacterial communities in wet rice fields, with a focus on describing the elements affecting community assemblages in this waterlogged soil–plant system. Nitrogen is a crucial nutrient for rice yield and growth. Characteristics of the rice paddy ecosystem promote N-fertilizer losses, resulting in negative impacts on the environment. Public concerns on sustainable rice crop production and food security have accentuated interest in exploring biological supplementary nitrogen sources. Biological N-fixation is a significant source of the nitrogen in agroecosystems. The nitrogen requirement of rice crops can be partly remedied by managing and promoting the activities of N-fixing microorganisms. These changes are leading towards a cleaner approach that maintains sustainability while simultaneously improving crop production targets. The use of N-fixing microorganisms as biofertilizers and the factors driving the success of this technology in wet rice paddies are also discussed.