THE INFLUENCE OF SEED INOCULATION AND/OR INITIAL NITROGEN DOSE ON YIELD AND CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF FABA BEAN

Faba bean belongs to the most important legumes in Poland. This results from the high yield potential, significant role in crop rotation, and the possibility of using this crop in animal nutrition. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of seed inoculation (Rhizobium leguminosarum bv. viciea) and initial nitrogen dose on the faba bean yield quantity and quality. A controlled field experiment was carried out in the years 2019-2021, on a field of the Podkarpackie Agricultural Advisory Centre (PODR) in Boguchwala. The faba bean variety Fernando was cultivated. A one-factor experiment was set up with four replicates in a randomized block design. Moisture and thermal conditions varied in the study years and influenced the faba been seed yield. It was shown that inoculation (B), initial nitrogen fertilization (C), and both treatments applied together (B+C) increased seed yield by 0.17, 0.14, and 0.22 t ha(-1), respectively, compared to the control (A). Of the yield components, the number of pods per plant and the thousand-seed weight (TSW) were significantly modified. The combined use of the inoculant and initial nitrogen dose (B+C) increased the protein content and decreased the fiber content in relation to control seeds (A). Nitrogen fertilization applied alone or in combination with the inoculant increased the content of P, K, and Fe in seeds as compared with the control (A) and the treatment with the inoculant (B). The highest content of Mn was determined in control seeds (A), while its content after the combined use of inoculation and nitrogen fertilization (B+C) was significantly lower.