Summary
Field experiments were carried out to determine the effects of single and mixed inoculations with Rhizobium and vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhiza (VAM) on nodulation, symbiotic N2 fixation and yield of soybeans in six Taiwan subtropical-tropical sites. Inoculation with Rhizobium alone significantly increased nodulation, nodule weight and nitrogenase activity of nodules in three out of six experimental fields, and affected soybean yields in the range −13% to + 134%. Inoculation with VAM fungi alone did not have a significant effect on nodulation and nitrogenase activity. Mycorrhiza inoculation affected soybean yields in the range −13% to + 65%, but only the yield increases at one out of six sites with N application were statistically significant. Mixed inoculation with Rhizobium and mycorrhiza affected yields in the range −8% to + 145% A synergistic effect from mixed inoculation of Rhizobium-mycorrhiza on soybean yields was found in one out of six experimental fields. The yield response to N application (40 kg N ha−1) in these six paddy-field trials was not significant. These results suggest that single or mixed inoculation of rhizobia can greatly assist soybean grain yields and can replace N fertilizers.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Allos HF, Bartholomew WV (1955) Effect of available nitrogen on symbiotic fixation. Soil Sci Soc Am Proc 19:182–184
Allos HF, Bartholomew WV (1959) Replacement of symbiotic fixation by available nitrogen. Soil Sci 87:61–66
Asimi S, Gianinazzi-Pearson V, Gianinazzi S (1980) Influence of increasing soil phosphorus levels on interactions between vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizae and Rhizobium in soybeans. Can J Bot 58:220–225
Azcon-Aguilar C, Barea JM (1981) Field inoculation of Medicago with VA mycorrhiza and Rhizobium in phosphate-fixing agricultural soil. Soil Biol Biochem 13:19–22
Bagyaraj DJ, Manjunath A, Patil RB (1979) Interaction between a vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhiza and Rhizobium and their effects on soybean in the field. New Phytol 82:141–145
Barea JM, Azcon-Aguilar C (1983) Mycorrhizas and their significance in nodulating nitrogen-fixing plants. Adv Agron 36:1–54
Bezdicek DG, Mulford RF, Magee BH (1974) Influence of organic nitrogen on soil nitrogen, nodulation, nitrogen fixation, and yield of soybeans. Soil Sci Soc Am Proc 38:268–273
Carling DE, Brown MIT (1980) Relative effect of vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi on the growth and yield of soybeans. Soil Sci Soc Am J 44:528–532
Ganry F, Diem HG, Dommergues YR (1982) Effect of inoculation with Glomus mosseae on nitrogen fixation by field grown soybean. Plant Soil 68:321–329
Ganry F, Diem HG, Wey J, Dommergues YR (1985) Inoculation with Glomus mosseae improves N2 fixation by field-grown soybeans. Biol Fertil Soils 1:15–23
Gianinazzi-Pearson V, Gianinazzi S (1980) The role of endomycorrhizal fungi in phosphorus cycling in the ecosystem. In: Wicklow DT, Carroll GC (eds) The fungal community, its organization and role in the ecosystem. Dekker, New York
Hardy RW, Holsten RD, Jackson EK, Burns RC (1968) The acetylene-ethylene assay for N2-fixation: laboratory and field evaluation. Plant Physiol 43:1185–1207
Kock B, Evans HJ (1966) Reduction of acetylene to ethylene by soybean root nodules. Plant Physiol 41:1748–1750
Kuo CG, Huang RS (1982) Effect of vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizae on the growth and yield of rice-stubble cultured soybeans. Plant Soil 64:325–330
Mosse B (1973) Advances in the study of vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhiza. Annu Rev Phytopathol 11:171–195
Mosse B, Hayman DS (1980) Mycorrhiza in agricultural plants. In: Mikola P (ed) Tropical mycorrhiza research. Clarendon Press, Oxford
Powell CL (1984) Field inoculation with VA mycorrhiza fungi. In: Powell CL, Bagyaraj DJ (eds) VA mycorrhiza. CRC Press, Boca Raton, Fla, pp 205–222
Ross JP, Harper JA (1970) Effect of Endogone mycorrhiza on soybean yields. Phytopathology 60:1552–1556
Schenck NC, Hinson K (1973) Response of nodulating and non-nodulating soybeans to a species of Endogone mycorrhiza. Agron J 65:849–850
Skipper HD, Smith GW (1979) Influence of soil pH on the soybean-endmycorrhiza symbiosis. Plant Soil 53:559–563
Vincent JM (1970) A manual for the practical study of the rootnodule bacteria. Blackwell, Oxford, pp 3:125–131
Wu MH (1958) Studies on Rhizobium inoculation of legumes in Taiwan. J Agric For 7:1–48
Wu MH, Lee ST, Chiang MH (1968) Effects of submerged paddy soil on the life of soybean rhizobia. J Agric Assoc China, New Ser 64:13–17
Young CC, Chao CC (1983) Legume production and application of Rhizobium in Taiwan. In: Houng KH, Lien CK (eds) Proceedings, ROC-JAPAN Seminar on Promoting Nitrogen Fixation in Agriculture, pp 39–44
Young CC, Wu MH, Juang TC (1982) Selection and use of Rhizobium in Taiwan. Food and Fertilizer Technology Center, Tech Bull 66:1–9
Young CC, Juang TC, Guo HY (1986) The effect of inoculation with vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi on soybean yield and mineral phosphorus utilization in subtropical-tropical soils. Plant Soil 95:245–253
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Young, C.C., Juang, T.C. & Chao, C.C. Effects of Rhizobium and vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhiza inoculations on nodulation, symbiotic nitrogen fixation and soybean yield in subtropical-tropical fields. Biol Fert Soils 6, 165–169 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00257668
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00257668