Evaluation of Root Nodulating Rhizobial Strains for Soybean Yield and Yield Components at Dangur District, North Western Ethiopia

Abstract

Inoculating soybean seeds with superior rhizobia strains is necessary for nodulation and nitrogen fixation. Ironically, many commercial agricultural products (biological and chemical) claim increases in crop productivity but their efficacy cannot be guaranteed. Thus, the trial was conducted for two consecutive years during rainy seasons of 2014 and 2015 in order to determine the effectiveness of some commercial microbial inoculants and recommend the best thizobia that increase the soybean grain yield in study area (Dangur) district. The experiment consists of six strain bacteria, one inorganic fertilizer alone and negative control, totally eight treatments viz., SB-14, SB-6B1, SB-6A2, SB-Murdock, SB-12, MAR-1495, recommended rate of fertilizer (100/ha TSP) , and control treatment. The experiment was replicated three times in randomized complete block design. The results revealed that co-inoculation of SB-Murdock with the soybean variety Belesa 95, produced significantly higher grain yield per hectare (1792.05kg), nodule numbers per plant (105.7), nodules dry weight per plant (0.51g), pod numbers per plant (36.57), seed numbers per plant (95.07) than the negative control treatment. On the other hand, the lowest grain yield (1099.16kg/ha), plant biomass (3055.56kg/ha), nodule numbers per plant (4.73), nodule dry weights per plant (0.04g), pod numbers per plant (23.87) and seed numbers per plant (55.3) were obtained from negative control treatment. The overall results thus suggest that rhizobial strains SB-Murdock can be used for producing higher yield of soybean when compared with the rest strain under agro climatic conditions of Dangur district.

Keywords: nitrogen fixaxion, Glycine max, nodules, inoculation.

DOI: 10.7176/JBAH/10-16-01

Publication date:August 31^st 2020