Tissue Culture of Alnus spp. with Regard to Symbioses

Abstract

Actinorhizal host plants include more than 160 species of angiosperms, distributed over 21 genera, that can form nitrogen-fixing root nodules with the actinomy-cete Frankia (Akkermans and Van Dijk 1981, Bond and Becking 1982, Bond 1983, Lechevalier 1983). Symbiotic nitrogen fixation ensures high yields of bio-mass production by actinorhizal host plants without the need for nitrogenous fertilizer and increases the productivity of deficient sites by the addition of 30–300 kg ha^-1 yr^-1 of nitrogen (Zavitkovski et al. 1979).