Paenibacillus polymyxa
Encyclopedia
Paenibacillus polymyxa is a Gram-positive
bacterium used as a soil inoculant
in agriculture
and horticulture
. It is capable of fixing nitrogen
.
First time isolated from fish (cod
) intestine by students (M.B. and A.E.) at NFH, University of Tromsø, in February 2009, giving growth on TSAg-medium.
Gram-positive
Gram-positive bacteria are those that are stained dark blue or violet by Gram staining. This is in contrast to Gram-negative bacteria, which cannot retain the crystal violet stain, instead taking up the counterstain and appearing red or pink...
bacterium used as a soil inoculant
Soil inoculant
Soil inoculants are bacteria or fungi that are added to soils in order to improve plant growth by either:*Freeing up soil nutrients for plant use.*Entering into symbiotic relationships with plant root systems....
in agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
and horticulture
Horticulture
Horticulture is the industry and science of plant cultivation including the process of preparing soil for the planting of seeds, tubers, or cuttings. Horticulturists work and conduct research in the disciplines of plant propagation and cultivation, crop production, plant breeding and genetic...
. It is capable of fixing nitrogen
Nitrogen fixation
Nitrogen fixation is the natural process, either biological or abiotic, by which nitrogen in the atmosphere is converted into ammonia . This process is essential for life because fixed nitrogen is required to biosynthesize the basic building blocks of life, e.g., nucleotides for DNA and RNA and...
.
First time isolated from fish (cod
Cod
Cod is the common name for genus Gadus, belonging to the family Gadidae, and is also used in the common name for various other fishes. Cod is a popular food with a mild flavor, low fat content and a dense, flaky white flesh. Cod livers are processed to make cod liver oil, an important source of...
) intestine by students (M.B. and A.E.) at NFH, University of Tromsø, in February 2009, giving growth on TSAg-medium.