noun
- bacteria that live in symbiotic relationships with leguminous plants, forming nodules on their roots and converting atmospheric nitrogen into compounds the plants can use
Usage: biology; plural form
Examples
- Rhizobia help soybeans obtain nitrogen from the air.
- Farmers often inoculate seeds with rhizobia to improve crop yields.
- The rhizobia in the root nodules convert nitrogen gas into ammonia.
- Scientists study how rhizobia communicate with their host plants.
- Different species of rhizobia form partnerships with different legumes.
- Rhizobia play a crucial role in sustainable agriculture.