Isolation of Frankia from root nodules of three species of Casuarina

Nodules from 6 stands of Casuarina glauca, 37 C. cunninghamiana and 27 C. equisetifolia were used to inoculate seedlings of respective hosts growing in steam sterilized sand-vermiculite potting mix. Fresh nodules were obtained from 63 of the samples but isolates of Frankia were obtained from only 13 of the fresh nodule samples. Isolates were obtained from 11 of the C. equisetifolia and one each from the C. cunninghamiana and C. glauca samples.