Abstract
ABSTRACT Cowpeas (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp) are an economically and socially important legume in northern and north-eastern Brazil and can establish effective symbiosis with nitrogen-fixing bacteria. We evaluated the symbiotic compatibility and efficiency of rhizobial strains from Pernambuco semi-arid soils and determined their symbiotic stability on the IPA-206, BR 17-Gurguéia, and BRS Novaera cultivars, selected for different environments. The experiment was conducted in a greenhouse to evaluate a 3 × 28 factorial arrangement (cultivars selected for different environments × inoculation with the currently recommended strain, uninoculated plants with or without mineral nitrogen, and 25 rhizobial strains from semi-arid soils) in a randomized block design with four replicates. We determined nodule number, shoot and root dry matter, nodule dry matter by nodule number, nitrogen accumulated in the shoot by nodule dry matter, nitrogen content and accumulation in the shoot, relative efficiency of the recommended strain based on nitrogen accumulation, and shoot dry matter. Overall, the cultivars responded differently to different strains and cultivar biological nitrogen fixation potential. Strains G7.85 and BR 3262 showed potential for biological nitrogen fixation. BR 3262 was confirmed to be adequate for inoculation of different cowpea cultivars.
Highlights
Cowpeas (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp) are an important legume in the cropping systems of tropical semi-arid environments (SAKA et al, 2019)
We evaluated the symbiotic compatibility, efficiency, and stability of native rhizobial strains isolated from tropical semi-arid soils and a strain currently recommended for Brazilian-wide commercial inoculant production in three cowpea cultivars indicated for widely different cowpea growing regions
Cowpea cultivars IPA-206, BR 17-Gurguéia, and BRS Novaera, indicated for cultivation in Pernambuco, Piauí, and the northern Brazilian region, respectively (GONÇALVES, 2012; IPA, 1989), were inoculated with 25 new rhizobial strains and three control treatments, including inoculation with BR 3262 a Bradyrhizobium sp. strain currently recommended for Brazilian inoculant production (BRASIL, 2011), uninoculated with nitrogen fertilization (CN.SI), or uninoculated without nitrogen fertilization (0N.SI) in a 3 × 28 factorial arrangement in a randomized block design with four replicates
Summary
Cowpeas (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp) are an important legume in the cropping systems of tropical semi-arid environments (SAKA et al, 2019). The continual screening and evaluation of new rhizobial strains are necessary to select more efficient and adaptable symbiotic associations and sustainably increase grain yield in tropical environments (NASCIMENTO et al, 2019). This is important in the tropics because of the high variability in soils and climate, which leads directly to high biodiversity in the rhizobial population, and the potential to select higher fixing strains for use in inoculant production (NDUNGU et al, 2018). We evaluated the symbiotic compatibility, efficiency, and stability of native rhizobial strains isolated from tropical semi-arid soils and a strain currently recommended for Brazilian-wide commercial inoculant production in three cowpea cultivars indicated for widely different cowpea growing regions
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