STRUCTURAL STUDIES ON ROOT NODULES OF LEUCAENA LEUCOCEPHALA WITH PARTICULAR REFERENCE TO THE INFECTION PROCESS

Abstract

Rhizobial infection on roots of Leucaena leucocephala started with curling and deformation of root hairs. Infection threads were seen in the young infected cells travelling both inter and intracellularly. Bacteroid region of the nodule composed of both the infected parenchymatous cells and uninfected interestitial cells. Two types of infected cells viz., young vacuolated cell and older non vacuolated cells with deformed nuclei were observed in the developing nodules. Both determinate and indeterminate nodules were observed in L. leucocephala.