th st On June 20 and 21 1985 the third workshop on "Azospirillum: Geneties, Physiology, Eeology" took place at the University of Bayreuth, West Germany, organized by the geneties department. There were about 80 partieipants, who eame from German research institutions, from other European eountries, from India, Egypt, North and South America. The former workshops had taken place in Bayreuth too in 1981 and 1983 respeetively, henee the organizers eould draw on the experienees then obtained. Azospirilla have, during the past 12 years, found an ever inereasing seientifie interest, beeause first, these soil baeteria earry the genetie information for binding moleeular nitrogen from the air, and second, they live in elose vieinity to the roots of grain erops and forage grasses. By exploi tation of these two properties, it is hoped to develop inoeulation proeedures in soils poor in nitrogen. The reports on the first afternoon foeussed, as aresult of the Bayreuth research interest, on genetie approaehes.