Evaluation of Root Noduletingrhizobial Strains for Fababean Crop at Kulumsa, Southeastern Highlands of Ethiopia

Almaz Admasu

doi:10.34297/ajbsr.2020.07.001214

Abstract

The response of fababean to seed inoculation with ninestrains of Rhizobium leguminosarum along with recommended phosphorous from TSP fertilizer was examined in field experiments at a total of five sites from 2013 to 2015 at Kulumsa in the southeastern highlands of Ethiopia. Full (18– 46 kg N–P2O5 ha<Sup>-1</sup>) and half doses nitrogen and phosphorous from inorganic source (DAP), and no input at all were also included in the treatments. The experiment was laid out in randomized complete block design with three replications. The result of 2013 trial showed seed inoculation with root noduleting rhizobium strains significantly improved the productivity of fababean. The highest grain yields of fababean were obtained from seed inoculations withstrainsEAL-110, FB-Murd, 1035 and 1018 along with recommended phosphorous from TSP.

Highlights

Fababean (Viciafaba) ranked first amongst cool season food legumes in terms of area of production
The result of 2013 cropping season indicated that fababean yield and yield components were significantly affected by seed inoculation with root noduleting rhizobium strains and applications of inorganic fertilizers (Table 1)
Fababean crop did not respond to both seed inoculation with root noduleting rhizobium strains and applications of inorganic fertilizers in 2014 and 2015 cropping seasons (Table 2&3)

Summary

Introduction

Fababean (Viciafaba) ranked first amongst cool season food legumes in terms of area of production. In 2014 / 2015 cropping season, 443,107 ha of land was allocated for fababean production, which was the first amongst pulse crops with a proportion of 28.4% (CSA, 2015). Apart from its contribution to cheap source of protein and foreign exchange earnings, it has a great rolein sustainable soil fertility management due to its ability to fix atmospheric N2 [1,2]. Even though fababean is the leading pulse crop in the country, the national yield has remained low, which was 1.89 t ha-1 (CSA, 2015). Fababean production is constrained by a range of physical and biotic factors. Soil fertility depletion is one of the most import ant constraints limiting fababean production in the Ethiopian highlands [1]

Objectives

Methods

Results

Conclusion