Legumes are grown as nurse crops in agriculture because they increase soil microbial life and productivity. Native legumes have potential in ecological restoration to mimic the benefits found in agriculture plus they enhance the restored ecosystem. This study was initiated to compare the growth rates, nodulation characteristics, and nitrogen fixation rates of a native versus a non-native legume. The two legumes were partridge pea (Cassia fasciculata); a native, wild, annual legume and soybean (Glycine max `Century Yellow); a domesticated, agricultural, annual legume native to Asia. Plants were grown for 11 weeks in pots containing silica sand and received a nitrogen-free Hoagland's nutrient solution. Beginning at week 12, plants were harvested weekly for four consecutive weeks. Nodulated root systems were exposed to acetylene gas and the resulting ethylene amounts were measured. The two legumes exhibited significant differences in nodule size and shape and plant growth rate. In soybean, nodules were large, spherical, and clustered around the taproot while in partridge pea, nodules were small, irregularly shaped, and spread throughout the fibrous root system. Soybean plants had a significantly faster growth rate at the onset of the experiment but partridge pea maintained a constant growth rate and eventually exceeded soybean plant size. In spite of these observed differences, partridge pea and soybean plants were equally efficient at reducing acetylene to ethylene. These results indicate partridge pea has the potential to produce as much nitrogen in the field as soybean. Native legumes such as partridge pea deserve further research to explore their use as nurse crops in agricultural or restoration regimes.
