EFFECT OF INOCULANT RATE ON NODULATION AND VARIOUS AGRONOMIC TRAITS OF SOYBEAN

In a soil lacking indigenous Bradyrhizobium japonicum, soybean (Glycine max [L.] Merr., nodulation depends upon the number of rhizobia applied with the inoculum. This field study reports the effect of different rates of applied rhizobia on nodulation, dry matter and nitrogen content in soybean in a Mediterranean soil lacking B. japonicum. Treatments included six rates of B. japonicum, ranging from 2.5 X 10(4) to 6.075 x 10(6) rhizobia cells per seed applied to the seed as peat inoculant at planting, 100 kg N ha-1 and an uninoculated control. The experiment was conducted in an Entisol soil. Regression analysis showed linear relationship between the rate of applied rhizobia and the number of the nodules per plant or the dry weight per nodule. In early stages of development (32 and 68 days after planting) plant dry weight was not affected by inoculation rate. At harvest a rate of 7.5 X 10(4) rhizobia cells per seed was necessary for maximum total and stover dry weight. A higher rate, 6.75 X 10(5) rhizobia cells per seed, was required to obtain maximum grain yield, total N content in plant tops and grain N content. Grain percentage N was increased up to 2.025 X 10(6) rhizobia cells per seed. Nitrogen application increased grain yield, total N content and grain N content at the same level as the lower inoculation rate.