I - --ii
I - --ii
I - --ii
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
162<br />
Inoculation with single strain (Ca-7 or IC-26) produced more nodules than the<br />
combination of strains (Table 2). Though the number of nodules differed considerably<br />
in the different inoculation treatments, the total nodule dry weight per<br />
plant remained more or less similar irrespective of the number of strains used.<br />
i'he plants inoculated with IC-26 alone or in combination with Ca-7 or with Ca<br />
7 + 3827 produced higher grain yield. The other two strains alone or in combination<br />
did not affect grain yield when compared with uninoculated treatments. The<br />
combination of IC-26 with 3827 also had similar effect.<br />
These results indicate that the presence of one effective strain as an inoculant<br />
is sufficient to produce adequate nodulation and to increase the yield of chickpeas<br />
and that the efficiency of such a strain can be lost by combining with a less<br />
effective strain. Therefore, it is suggested that an effective strain is identified by<br />
screening a large number of strains for each location.<br />
Table 2<br />
Nodule number, nodule dry weight, and grain yield of winter-planted chickpeas as affected<br />
by single, double, and multiple strain inoculants of Rhizobium at Tel Hadya, 1978-79.<br />
Treatment Nodule Nodule dry wt. Yield<br />
No./plant (mg/plant) (kg/ha)<br />
Noninoculated 6.4 27.7 1801<br />
3827 26.C 65.8 1966<br />
Ca7 41.4 50.4 1855<br />
IC-26 40.5 62.1 2335<br />
3827 + Ca-7 24.4 65.8 1990<br />
Ca-7 + IC-26 31.2 60.5 2330<br />
3827 + IC-26 12.8 65.9 1860<br />
3827 + !C-26 + Ca-7 51.1 68.5 2284<br />
LSD (5%) 8.4 10.5 266<br />
Response to Phosphate and Nitrogen Fertilizer Application<br />
Field experiments were started in November 1980 to (i) determine the amount of<br />
phosphate fertilizers required for optimum nodulation and yield, (<strong>ii</strong>) study the<br />
effect of small amounts of nitrogen fertilizers on nodule production and yield,<br />
and (<strong>ii</strong>i) identify superior strains of Rhizobium suitable for soils containing low<br />
and high levels of available phosphorus and nitrogen.<br />
In one of the experiments, the influence of phosphorus fertilizer (triple super<br />
phosphate) applied at the rate of 0, 25, 50 and 75 kg P20/ha was investigated. In<br />
another experiment, the effect of nitrogen fertilizer (ammonium nitrate) applied<br />
at the rate of 0, 20, 40 and 60 kg N/ha was examined. Four strains of Rhizobium