Mung bean( Vigna radiata L.

) and okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) are two plants used to observed the nodule formation on their roots via nitrogen fixer bacteria such as Rhizobium, a soil bacteria. Vigna radiata L. is a herbaceous, leguminous plant with 40 to 120 cm in height (Warrier and Ramankutty). Kole (2007), added that maturation of mung bean will occur at 70 to 110 days in tropical or sub-tropical places. Like Vigna radiata L., okra is also a short-day non leguminous plant with 210 days period of maturation, in tropical places (Grubben, 2004). Moreover, nodule formation could occur in leguminous plants caused by Rhizobium. The said bacteria can fix atmospheric nitrogen or dinitrogen into ammonium using nitrognenase enzyme inside the roots of legume plants.There is a symbiotic relationship between the Rhizobium and legume roots. The legume plants will provide an organic carbon for nitrogen fixation and a low-oxygen niche for the bacteria since nitrogenase enzyme needed oxygen to occur (Berwin, 2007). And also, high energy compounds such as ATP was given by the plant which is also needed for nitrogen fixation. While the bacteria will supply fixed nitrogen that can be converted to amino acids for the plants metabolism and growth. Furthermore, root nodules are visible as little round knobs in curled roots of leguminous plant. According to Schaible and Haas (2007), nodulation in root of leguminous plant begins when there is an exchange of specific molecular signals between the plant and the bacteria, Rhizobium. Flavonoid compounds are released from legume roots which attract the bacteria going to the root and induced the expression of rhizobial nodulation-related (nod) genes. Then, the nod gene products would synthesize and secrete a Nod factor which is a specific chitin-like lipochitooligossacharides. Schaible and Haas (2007) also added that as a response of a plant, the root hair would deform and curled since cell wall growth of the root hairs are reoriented. Then, the Rhizobium bacteria will now lead to the formation of nodule to fix atmospheric nitrogen. The Rhizobium will penetrate the cell wall of root hairs, going to the root hair cortex, then to the main root cortex for cellular division. On the other hand, okra as a non leguminous was not capable of nodule formation. But other non leguminous plant such as Paraphonia (Trinick and Galbbraith, 1980) and Trema cannabina var. scabra (Trinick and Galbraith, 1976), can have root nodule formation caused by Rhizobium. In this study, auxin was used to induce the formation of nodule in leguminous and non leguminous plant. An auxin is a widely used plant hormone as what King (2011) stated. In addition, it is also an organic compound which is synthesized in one part of the plant body and translocated to another part. Moreover, in a very low concentration, auxin physiological effects on plant can be observed. This plant hormone can cause stem elongation, branch-inhibiting function, promotes fruit formation without pollination, etc. According to Hirsch (1989), the nodule-like structures initiated by auxin transport inhibitors on alfalfa roots are structurally similar to root nodules induced by Rhizobium. Thus, the writers concluded that NPA (NPA N-(1-naphthyl)-phthalamic acid) and TIBA (2,3,5triiodobenzoic acid), which are two auxin transport inhibitors, induce cortical cell divisions and

development of nodules, which in turn express two nodulin genes. Therefore, TIBA and NPA are able to substitute for the activity of compounds made following the induction of Rhizobium nod genes. In this study (objectives)

Hirsch A. M. , Bhuvaneswarit T. V., Torrey J. G. AND T. Bisseling. 1989. Early

nodulin genes are induced in alfalfa root outgrowths elicited by auxin transport inhibitors. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 86: 1244-1248 King, John. 2011. Reaching for the Sun: How Plants Work, 2nd edition. Cambridge University Press. New York. 105p Trinick M.J. and J. Galbraith.1976. Structure of root nodules formed by Rhizobium on the nonlegume Trema cannabina var. scabra. Archieves of Microbiology. 108: 159-166. Trinick M.J. and J. Galbraith. 1980. The Rhizobium Requirements of the Non-Legume Parasponia in Relationship to the Cross-Inoculation Group Concept of Legumes. . Archieves of Microbiology. 86:17-26. Schaible U.E. and A. Haas. 2007. Intracellular Niches of Microbes: A Pathogens Guide Through the Host Cell. Wiley-VCH verlag GmbH . Germany. 508p to 509p Berwin, Nicholas. 2007. Root Nodules (Rhizobium, legumes). John Wiley and Sons. Ltd. USA. 75p. Grubben, G.J.H. 2004. Plant resources of tropical Africa: Vegetables Backhuys Publishers. Netherlands.64p.

Warrier P.K., Ramankutty N.C. a and V.P.K. Nambiar. 2002. Indian medicinal plants: a compendium of 500 species, Volume 5. Novena Offset Printing Co. India. 374p. Kole, C. 2007. Genome Mapping and Molecular Breeding in Plants: Pulses, sugar and crops. Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg. USA. 68p. tuber