Question: Is there other familys of plants that can sence the same species of bacteria?

Jo Hulsmans answered on 15 Jun 2011:

Good question!

Other than legume plants (like beans) there is one tree that can do the same thing. But what is interesting is that we know that legume plants evolved the ability to work with the rhizobium bacteria 3 times! This means there is something about legume plants that other plants don’t have that makes it easier for the ability to evolve. I hope I can find out what it is!

What is also interesting is that I found in my research that other plants can sense the rhizobium bacteria, but they respond differently from legume plants, what we see in other plans is that the root system changes, roots become shorter, so they can definitely sense it, but they react in a different way.

Interesting question, keep it up!