Jim Webster > writes
>from memory the legumes have bacteria fixing nitrogen living in nodules on
>their roots, a true symbiot. No plant can fix nitrogen, but they can provide
>a home for the bacteria who can, so whether it would be a genetic transfer
>to get the nodules to fix to wheat, or merely a case of 'innoculating' the
>seed I'm not sure. I remember reading that some work was being done on
>truffles and tree roots which was the sort of work the author mentioned
>could be transferred to nitrogen fixing

Much more complex.

The seed contains zero bacteria, they have to be picked up from the
soil. Needless to say the bacteria are extreme specialists that have
only ever been found in nodules. So the sequence seems to be:

1) Legume roots exude something that causes the bacteria to come to it,
this probably means breaking dormancy of encysted bacteria at very low
level in the soil.

2) The bacteria has to exude something that causes the plant to
recognise its been infected.

3) The plant then builds a nodule for the bacteria to colonaise.

4) The plant has to provide the bacteria with a supply of nutrients.

I would imagine that this sequence is rather complex and requires many
genes on many chromosomes to be switched on or off depending on the
position of the cell and the stage arrived at.

Its likely to be scattered all over the genome and thus rather difficult
to transfer.

--
Oz
This post is worth absolutely nothing and is probably fallacious.