Agricultural Research Management Information System

Home
Research Summary
Search
About Us
- ARMIS
- Brochure
Contact Us
Report
User Request
Data Input
Help
- Operation Manual
  - PDF
  - Video
- Program Area & Commodity
We have reached 37600 number of research entries at this moment.

- Logout

Research Detail

Home
Research
Detail

Improvement in the Production of Food Legume Crops by Using Rhizobium Technology

M. S. Hoque
Department of Soil Science BAU, Mymensingh.

Abstract/ Executive Summary:

Among all the essential elements nitrogen has been the most deficient nutrient in Bangladesh its limiting crop production and urea is generally used for supplying this nutrient. The use of Biological Nitrogen Fixation (BNF) technology in the form of Rhizobium inoculants can be an attractive alternative to expensive urea fertilizer particularly in improving the production of food crops in the country. Many laboratory, pot and field studies have been carried out in the Department of Soil Science of BAU since 1977 on collection, isolation, characterization, screening and selection of Ruizobium strains on the basis of their effectiveness on nodulation, nitrogen nation, shoot. growth and yield of different food lagume crops like soybean, groundnut, lentil, mungbean and chickpea. Some of the most effective strains now being used in pilot scale production of peilt based inoculants are BAU 700, BAU 702 and NC 92 for groundnuts: BAU 107, BAU 144 BAU 118 and TAL 102 for Soybean; BAU 303 ana TAL 638 for lentil: BAU 604 and BAU hll6 for mungbean and BAU 24 and BAU 30 for chickpea. The yield increased due to use of these inoculants in most cases, ranging from 25 to 70'1.. in groundnut; 50 to 200% in soybean; 20 to 60% in lentil; and 20 to 50'Y.. in mungbean. The bacterial inoculants, thus, can be used as a cheaper substitute for urea in the cultivation of different food legume crops in Bangladesh.

Keywords: Food Legume, Rhizobium Technology, Soybean, Groundnut, Lentil, Mungbean

Location: Department of Soil Science, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh

Start Date:

End Date:

Program Area: Crop-Soil-Water Management

Commodity: Bio fertilizer

Objectives:

To determine the Improvement in the Production of Food Legume Crops by Using Rhizobium Technology

Methodology:

Many laboratory, pot and field studies have been carried out at the Department of Soil Science of Bangladesh Agricultural University on Rhizobium technology since 1977. The studies mainly involved collection, isolation and characterization of rhizobia as well as screening and selection of Rhizobium strains on the basis of their effectiveness on nodulation and nitrogen fixation, shoot growth and yield of different food legume crops like soybean, groundnut, lentil and mungbean. The Rhizobium isolates which had been found promising in pot experiments were used for field trials in the form of peat based inoculants. The promising locally isolated/reisolated strains of rhizobia used in the field trials with soybean were designated as BAU 101, BAU 107, BAU 118 and BAU 144 while the exotic strains used in the trials were TAL 102, TAL 377, TAL 379 and UK 3407. For groundnut, the locally isolated promising strains of rhizobia used in the field trials were designated as BAU 700, BAU 702, BAU 709 and BAU 710 while the exotic promising strains used were TAL 169 and NC-92. In case of lentil, the promising local strains of rhizobia used in the field study were BAU 303, BAU 343 and BAU 444 and there was one exotic strain designated as TAL 638. For mungbean, the field trial was carried out with two promising local strains of rhizobia designated as BAU 604 and with one exotic strain TAL 441. The exotic strains were obtained from the NifTAL Project of the University of Hawaii, USA; Biological Nitrogen Fixation Resource Center, Bangkok, Thailand and the Rothamsted Experimental Station, U. K. For use in the field trials, Rhizobium inoculants were prepared with each strain by preparing broth culture of the individual strain and using local peat soil as the carrier. The freshly prepared inoculants that gave viable count of at least 10 rhizobia per g of inoculant were used for seed coating immediately before sowing. A basal dose of TSP, MP and gypsum were applied at the time of final land preparation to supply 50 kg P2 05. 40 kg K20 Pand 20 kg S per ha, respectively. The S fertilizer was applied only for soybean and ground nut. For the N treatments, urea was applied in 2 splits at the time of sowing and at flowering stage of the crops to supply 100 or 50 kg N per ha, In some trials, urea was applied to supply 0,10,20,30 and 40 kg N per ha. The crop varieties used in the study were Bragg and Shohag (Pb-1) for soybean; DK- 1 and DG-2 for groundnut; local variety for lentil and Mubarik for mungbean. For soybean, the row spacing was 30 cm and plant spacing 5 cm; for groundnut row spacing 40 cm and plant spacing 15 cm; for lentil, row spacing 25 cm and continuous sowing in lines; and for mungbean 25 cm row spacing and 5 ern plant spacing. The plot size varied from 15 sqm to 20 sqm. The trials were laid out in randomized complete block design having 4 replications of each treatment. Data on nod ule count and shoot growth were recorded in most cases. 50 to 70 days after sowing for soybean, lentil and mungbean while in case of groundnut such data were recorded 85 to 100 days after sowing. The seed or nut yield of the crops were recorded after harvesting the crop at full maturity. The treatment affects were statistically ana lysed and the mean differences were examined by DMRT.

Source of Information: M.S. Hussain, S.M. Imamul Huq, M. Anwar Iqbal and T.H. Khan (eds), Proceedings of Inter-congress Conference of Commission IV "Improving soil Management for Intensive Cropping in the Tropics and Sub-tropics", pp-403-408, Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Article Link (Online Journal):

Funding Source:

Total Budget (Tk.) :

Achievement/Findings:

Results of a good number of field trials on Rhizobium inoculants with different food legume crops are presented. The results show the response of soybean, groundnut and lentil to Rhizobium inoculation and N, PK or NPK applications. The results of different rates of urea-N in absence and presence of R. inoculation in soybean and lentil. The results of field evaluation studies of different strains of rhizobia on soybean, groundnut, lentil and mungbean. The overall results of these studies indicate that for harvesting better yield of the important food legume crops in Bangladesh, there is a bright prospect of the use of Rhizobium inoculants which appeared to be more effective and cheaper than urea fertilizer. Pilot Scale production of Rhizobium inoculants was initiated at the Department of Soil Science of I3AU since 1980-81 initially for soybean and subsequently for groundnut, mungbean and lentil. Recently attempts have been made by BAU to produce R. inoculants for soybean, groundnut, lentil and mungbean on mass scale using the most promising strains in cooperation with a private sector enterprise.

Knowledge Management: Report/Proceedings