Can invasive legumes nodulate with a greater diversity of rhiozbial symbionts than non-invaders?  We set out to test this idea in a large nodulation assay, comparing the diversity of rhizobial isolates that could nodulate each of four invasive and three native legumes from the Bay Area.

By growing the plants in glass tubes, we were able to monitor nodulation each week for the duration of the experiment.  Four weeks after we added rhizobia to the pots, we harvested the plants.  After a whopping 70 man-hours for the harvest, we’ve finally got all of our data in hand.  Stay tuned as the results emerge!