Process of infection of the root system of the pea by root nodule bacteria in the presence of straw.

The application of straw enhances the process of formation of specifically distorted root hairs with a primary focus of infection in 8--9 day old pea plants inoculated with bacteria, but somewhat retards the process of formation of infective filaments in such root hairs. On the 13th to 15th day the number of these and other root hairs in the variant in which straw has been applied is considerably higher than in the absence of straw. This is correlated with the number and weight of nodules formed.