The drop plate method as an alternative for Azospirillum spp. viable cell enumeration within the consensus protocol of the REDCAI network.

Quality evaluation of commercial inoculants is essential to warrant an adequate crop response to inoculation within a biosecurity framework. In this sense, this work is aimed at standardizing and validating the drop plate method for the enumeration of Azospirillum viable cells as an alternative to the spread plate technique, which is currently proposed in the consensus protocol of the REDCAI network. Between 14 and 25 private and public laboratories participated in three independent trials. We obtained consistent and robust results that allowed to confirm that both techniques are equivalent, concluding that the drop plate method is an alternative enumeration technique that is adequate to be included in the abovementioned consensus protocol.

Physiological and biochemical characterization of Azospirillum brasilense strains commonly used as plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria.

Azospirillum is a plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) genus vastly studied and utilized as agriculture inoculants. Isolation of new strains under different environmental conditions allows the access to the genetic diversity and improves the success of inoculation procedures. Historically, the isolation of this genus has been performed by the use of some traditional culture media. In this work we characterized the physiology and biochemistry of five different A. brasilense strains, commonly used as cereal inoculants. The aim of this work is to contribute to pose into revision some concepts concerning the most used protocols to isolate and characterize this bacterium. We characterized their growth in different traditional and non-traditional culture media, evaluated some PGPR mechanisms and characterized their profiles of fatty acid methyl esters and carbon-source utilization. This work shows, for the first time, differences in both profiles, and ACC deaminase activity of A. brasilense strains. Also, we show unexpected results obtained in some of the evaluated culture media. Results obtained here and an exhaustive knowledge revision revealed that it is not appropriate to conclude about bacterial species without analyzing several strains. Also, it is necessary to continue developing studies and laboratory techniques to improve the isolation and characterization protocols.