Development and evaluation of liquid inoculants of Mesorhizobium ciceri and PGPR (Pseudomonas sp.) in chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.)
Loading...
Date
2009-05
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
G.B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar - 263145 (Uttarakhand)
Abstract
Studies were conducted to develop suitable growth media for liquid inoculant of Mesorhizobium sp. and Pseudomonas sp., and to examine the effect of nutrient stresses on survival of these organismts under laboratory conditions. Shelf life of these inoculants and their survival on chickpea seed was also examined. Survival of Mesorhizobium sp. and Pseudomonas sp. was found maximum in YEM-2 and NB-1 medium as compared to YEM-1, YEM-3 and NB-2, NB-3 media. Optimum levels of C and N sources in liquid broth showed better survival than reduced level of these nutrients. Shelf life of liquid inoculants was greater than carrier based inoculants. Refrigerated conditions gave better survival than room temperature conditions.
The performance of liquid and carrier based inoculants of Mesorhizobium sp. and Pseudomonas sp. was also compared under field conditions. Carrier based of Mesorhizobium sp. increased nodule number from 20.3 to 68.7 and nodule dry weight from 22.1 to 98.8 % over uninoculated control at different crop age and its liquid inoculant gave respective increases from 62.6 to 69.2 % and 36.8 to 190.6 %. Carrier based inoculant of Pseudomonas sp. also gave significant increases in nodule number from 36.6 to 66.2 % and nodule dry weight from 30.9 to 109.8 % at different intervals. Respective increases with liquid inoculant of Pseudomonas sp. were 61.1 to 84.6 % and 41.7 to 143.8 %. Dual inoculation of Mesorhizobium sp. + Pseudomonas sp. with either carrier or liquid inoculants gave better nodulation than their inoculation alone. Different inoculants increased grain yield from 8.5 to 23.2 %, straw yield from 12.1 to 31.0 %, nitrogen content in grain and straw from 15.2 to 40.4 % and 3.8 to 60.0 %, phosphorus content in grain and straw from 6.0 to 21.7 % and 18.3 to 109.2 %, respectively over uninoculated control. Respective increases in nitrogen uptake were from 14.41 to 72.2 % and 18.3 to 109.2 %, phosphorus uptake from 11.2 to 40.2 % and 20.6 to 105.6 %. The different inoculation treatments also increased the available nitrogen and phosphorus content in soil. Soil dehydrogenase activity increased from 4.8 to 16.1 %, microbial biomass carbon from 12.0 to 36.4 % and acid and alkaline phosphatase activity from 8.6 to 21.3 % and 9.1 to 41.1 %, respectively, over uninoculated control, due to inoculation of treatments.
Description
Keywords
liquids, inoculants, inoculation, Mesorhizobium ciceri PGPR, Pseudomonas, chickpeas, Cicer arietinum