Influence of partial pressures of acetylene and nitrogen upon nitrogenase activity of species of Beijerinckia.

Acetylene reduction and nitrogen fixation by strains of Beijerinckia indica and B. lacticogenes increased with increased partial pressures of acetylene and nitrogen up to 80 kPa. The optical emission spectrophotometric method was used for the determination of 14N:15N ratios. The molar ratios of acetylene to nitrogen varied greatly from the theoretical value.