Effects of inoculation of bean cultivars with Rhizobium legominosarum biovar phaseoli on yield and nitrogen fixation in Shahrekord condition

In order to evaluate inoculation effects on bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) cultivars with different strains of Rhizobium legominosarum biovar phaseoli, a spilt plot experiment in randomized complete block design was conducted in the field at ShahreKord in 2002. The factors were four bacterial strains: L-78, L-47, L-125, l-109 and plus nitrogen control (100 kg Nitrogen/ha) and a control plot (without inoculation) in main plots and three cultivars bean: local shahrekord (spotted bean), Talash (spotted bean) and local shahreKord (red bean) in subplots. The results revealed that there were significant differences among factor A in grain yield, weight of pod per plants, number of pods per plants, number of seeds per pods, number and weight nod at 50% flowering (50 days after emergence), nitrogen concentration of leaf and stem and percent of nitrogen fixation. Treatment of inoculated seeds with L-125 strain and control demonstrated the highest and lowest grain yield, respectively. The results showed that all treatments were capable of nodulation. However, strains L-109 gave highest nodule dry weight and percent of fixed N2. An efficient symbiotic was achieved with strain L-109, since total N content of plants inoculated with these strains was similar to that of plants supplied with N –fertilizer treatment.