Effect of rhizobial inoculants on yield and yield components of faba bean (Vicia fabae L.) on vertisol of Wereillu District, South Wollo, Ethiopia

Samuel Adissie Gedamu,Enyew Adgo Tsegaye,Tesfaye Feyisa Beyene

doi:10.1186/s43170-021-00025-y

Abstract

BackgroundNitrogen fixation by legumes like faba bean is a cheap way of fixing atmospheric nitrogen to plant available form. However, the inoculation of grain legumes with rhizobium bacteria are poorly researched in Amhara Region of Ethiopia.MethodsThus, a study to examine the effects of rhizobium leguminosarum (var vicae) strains on nodulation, growth, and yield of faba bean was conducted in Wereillu district of Amhara Region, Ethiopia during the rainy season of 2018. The treatments comprised of four levels of faba bean Rhizobium strains (un-inoculated, EAL-1018, EAL-1035 and EAL-17) arranged in a randomized complete block design with three replications. The collected data on yield and yield-related parameters were analyzed using Statistical Analysis System (Statistical Analysis System, version 9.1, SAS Institute Inc, Cary, 2003), version 9.1 and subjected to Duncan’s Multiple Range Test for mean separation when the analysis of variance was significant.ResultsThe result revealed that the effect of EAL-1018 brought significantly (P ≤ 0.05) higher difference on nodule number, nodulation volume, nodule dry weight, biomass yield and grain yield compared to the control. Faba bean strain, EAL-1018 gave 45.6, 27 and 11.6% grain yield advantage over the control, EAL1017 and EAL 1035 respectively.ConclusionBiologically as well as Economically EAL 1018 brought the maximum yield and net benefit (47020.7) compared to the other treatments. Hence, EAL-1018 is recommended for the study area and similar agro—ecologies.

Highlights

Biological nitrogen fixation, which is the conversion of atmospheric nitrogen to ammonia by microorganisms in root nodules of legume plants, plays a significant role in the global nitrogen cycle and in world agriculture
Eighteen kg ha−1 nitrogen as starter fertilizer and 20 kg ha−1 phosphorus which is recommended for faba bean in the study district were applied at planting to all plots
The soil analysis results (Table 1) revealed that the organic matter and total nitrogen was in a range of low and medium respectively (Murphy 1968; Debele 1980; Tadese 1991)

Summary

Introduction

Background and justification Biological nitrogen fixation, which is the conversion of atmospheric nitrogen to ammonia by microorganisms in root nodules of legume plants, plays a significant role in the global nitrogen cycle and in world agriculture. Rhizobia establish symbiotic organs termed root nodules on the roots of their host, and proliferate by extracting nutrients from the host plant. They supply their host plants with nitrogen resources produced by nitrogen gas fixation (Fujita et al 2014). Faba bean (Vicia faba L.) is an important grain-legume crop and a good source of dietary protein (Hanelt and Mettin 1989). It is a major food and feed legume because of the high nutritional value of its seeds, Gedamu et al CABI Agric Biosci (2021) 2:8 which are rich in protein and starch (Duc et al 2010). The inoculation of grain legumes with rhizobium bacteria are poorly researched in Amhara Region of Ethiopia

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