Spontaneous Mutations in the Nitrate Reductase Gene napC Drive the Emergence of Eco-friendly Low-NO-Emitting Alfalfa Rhizobia in Regions with Different Climates.

We have recently shown that commercial alfalfa inoculants (e.g., Sinorhizobium meliloti B399), which are closely related to the denitrifier model strain Sinorhizobium meliloti 1021, have conserved nitrate, nitrite, and nitric oxide reductases associated with the production of the greenhouse gas nitrous oxide (NO) from nitrate but lost the NO reductase related to the degradation of NO to gas nitrogen.

Maximizing the expression of transgenic traits into elite alfalfa germplasm using a supertransgene configuration in heterozygous conditions.

A novel process for the production of transgenic alfalfa varieties. Numerous species of legumes, including alfalfa, are critical factors for agroecosystems due to their ability to grow without nitrogen fertilizers derived from non-renewable fossil fuels, their contribution of organic nitrogen to the soil, and their increased nutritional value. Alfalfa is the main source of vegetable proteins in meat and milk production systems worldwide.