Abstract
ALTHOUGH some workers1 have examined environmental factors affecting the formation of dense clusters of rootlets (‘proteoid roots’) in many taxa of the Proteaceae, the causal agents have not been elucidated. The basic phenomenon is an intense, localised production of short lateral roots occurring particularly in nutritionally poor conditions. Purnell2 and Lamont3 were unable to detect bacteria, actinomycetes or fungi in newly formed proteoid roots although microorganisms were sometimes found in older roots. Here we demonstrate that proteoid roots are caused by non-infecting rhizosphere microorganisms.
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References
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MALAJCZUK, N., BOWEN, G. Proteoid roots are microbially induced. Nature 251, 316–317 (1974). https://doi.org/10.1038/251316a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/251316a0
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