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

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 N2 fixation and legume yield.