Nodulation, N2 fixation and yield of chickpea as influenced by host cultivar and Bradyrhizobium strain differences

Abstract Chickpeas inoculated with two local isolates of Bradyrhizobium , either singly or as a mixed culture, and with an imported strain were compared with an uninoculated treatment in a greenhouse trial using five cultivars of chickpea growing in soil that had not supported legume growth in the recent past. Inoculation gave significant increases in nodule number, nodule dry weight, N accumulation and seed yield with significant strain × cultivar interactions. Although the mixed inoculant was superior in early nodule formation, the local isolates performed better in later measurements. Two recently-developed γ-ray induced mutants of chickpea, G-299 and G-296, nodulated better than the other three cultivars. The data support the use of local bradyrhizobia to prepare inoculant for chickpea and suggest that mutant chickpea genotypes offer potential benefits in N 2 fixation and legume yield.