INFLUENCE OF RHIZOBIUMINOCULANT AND NITROGEN ON NODULATION, GROWTH AND N UPTAKE OF LENTIL

Abstract

A field trial was conducted to investigate the effects of Rhizobium inoculant and different levels of nitrogen on nodulation, dry weight, N content and N uptake of lentil. Rhizobium inoculant alone significantly increased total number of nodules, dry weight of nodules, shoot and root compared to control. Application of 10 to 20 kg N/ha along with inoculant further stimulated all the characters of the crop including N content and N uptake by shoot. The effects of nitrogen added with inoculant was however, not significant in most of the characters of the crop studied. The performance of nitrogen alone was not as good as inoculant in most cases. There were high positive relationships of total number of nodules with dry weight of nodules, shoot and root, N content and N uptake by shoot of the crop.