These plants are grown widely in the north of China. After surface-sterilized seeds had been germinated, seedlings were planted aseptically in each tube after being immersed in the culture broth of strain
J3-A127T with approximately 106 cells ml–1 for 1 h. The plants were grown at 25 uC for 6 weeks in an artificial
climate chamber (humidity 55 %, light/dark photoperiod of 14/10 h). Non-inoculated seedlings were used as controls
and were cultured under the same conditions. Strain J3-A127T did not form nodules on these four legume plants. The nodD and nifH genes were also not detected by PCR in this strain.