Abstract
TGX soybean lines were bred at IITA Ibadan for promiscuity with indigenous rhizobia in Nigerian soils. Two cultivars, TGX1456-2E and TGX1660-19F, were tested in a 2-year trial for their response to rhizobial inoculation in five farmers' fields within a 60-km radius of Minna town, in the Southern Guinea savanna zone of Nigeria. Using the ELISA method, the competitiveness and persistence of the two elite strains of rhizobia contained in the inoculant mixture were also studied. There was a close relationship between nodulation and the size of resident rhizobial populations, with wide variation in nodulation across the various sites irrespective of the treatments. Cultivar effect on height and nodule number was significant only in the first cropping season of the trial. The inoculant strains appeared to be less competitive, but more effective, than the indigenous populations. The proportions of the nodules occupied by the inoculant strains were 17% in the first cropping season, and 24% in the second. Inoculation with rhizobia increased the percent arbuscular mycorrhizal infection by an average of 50%. Although grain yield varied between sites, no significant cultivar effect was observed. However, inoculation increased grain yield by 40% in the first cropping season, while no such yield differences occurred in the second season. The proportion of nitrogen derived from N2 fixation ranged from 27% to 50% in both cropping seasons, and this was dependent on crop management on farmers' fields, rather than any cultivar or inoculation effect.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
De Lucena Costa N, Paulino VT (1990) Response of Leucaena to single and combined inoculation with Rhizobium and mycorrhiza. Leuc Res Rep 11:45–46
Giller KE, Wilson KJ (1991) Nitrogen fixation in tropical cropping systems. CAB International, Wallingford
Giovannetti G, Mosse B (1980) An evaluation of techniques for measuring vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal infection in roots. New Phytol 84:489–500
Herridge DF, Peoples MB (1990) Ureide assay for measuring nitrogen fixation by nodulated soybean calibrated by 15N methods. Plant Physiol 93:495–503
IITA (1989) Automated and semi-automated methods for soil and plant analysis. (Manual series no. 7) IITA, Ibadan, Nigeria
Khalil S, Laynachan TE, Tabatabai MA (1994) Mycorrhizal dependency and nutrient uptake by improved and unimproved corn and soybean cultivars. Agron J 86:949–958
Kueneman EA, Root WR, Dashiell KE, Hohenberg J (1984) Breeding soybeans for the tropics capable of nodulating effectively with indigenous Rhizobium spp. Plant Soil 82:387–396
Okereke U, Eaglesham RJ (1993) Nodulation and nitrogen fixation by 79 "promiscuous" soybean genotypes in soil in east Nigeria. Agron Afr 2:123–136
Peoples MB, Ladha JK, Herridge DF (1995) Enhancing legume N2 fixation through plant and soil management. Plant Soil 174:83–101
Philips JM, Hayman DS (1970) Improved procedure for clearing roots and staining parasitic and vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi for rapid assessment of infection. Trans Br Mycol Soc 55:158–161
Pulver EL, Kueneman EA, Ranarao V (1985) Identification of promiscuous nodulating soybean efficient in N2 fixation. Crop Sci 25:660–663
Sanginga N, Abaidoo RC, Dashiell K, Carsky RJ, Okogun JA (1996) Persistence and effectiveness of rhizobia nodulating promiscuous soybeans in moist savanna zones of Nigeria. Appl Soil Ecol 3:215–224
Sanginga N, Dashiell K, Okogun JA, Thottappilly G (1997) Nitrogen fixation and N contribution by promiscuous nodulating soybeans in the southern Guinea savanna of Nigeria. Plant Soil 195:257–266
Sanginga N, Carsky RJ, Dashiell K (1999) Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi respond to rhizobial inoculation and cropping systems in farmers' fields in the Guinea savanna. Biol Fertil Soils 30:179–186
Sanginga N, Thottappilly G, Dashiell K (2000) Effectiveness of rhizobia nodulating recent promiscuous soyabean selections in the moist savanna of Nigeria. Soil Biol Biochem 32:127–133
SAS Institute (1989) SAS/STAT user's guide, version 6, 4th edn, vol 2. SAS, Cary, N.C.
Singleton PW, Tavares JW (1986) Inoculation response of legumes in relation to the number and effectiveness of indigenous Rhizobium populations. Appl Environ Microbiol 51:1013–1018
Smith J, Woodworth JB, Dashiell KE (1993) Government policies and farm level technologies: the expansion of soybean in Nigeria. Agric Syst Afr 3:20–32
Thies JE, Singleton PW, Bohlool BB (1991) Modelling symbiotic performance of introduced rhizobia in the field by the use of indices of indigenous population size and nitrogen status of the soil. Appl Environ Microbiol 57:29–37
Thompson JA, Bhrosiri A, Shutsrirung A, Lillakan S (1991) Native root nodule bacteria of traditional soybean growing areas in northern Thailand. Plant Soil 135:53–65
Vincent JM (1970) A manual for the practical study of root-nodule bacteria. IBP handbook no. 15. Blackwell, Oxford
Weaver RW, Frederick LR (1974) Effect of inoculum rate on competitive nodulation of Glycine max L. Merill. Field studies. Agron J 66:233–236
Woomer PL, Singleton PW, Bohlool BB (1988) Ecological indicators of native rhizobia in tropical soils. Appl Environ Microbiol 54:1112–1116
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Osunde, A.O., Gwam, S., Bala, A. et al. Responses to rhizobial inoculation by two promiscuous soybean cultivars in soils of the Southern Guinea savanna zone of Nigeria. Biol Fertil Soils 37, 274–279 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00374-003-0609-2
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00374-003-0609-2