Study on Rhizobium Behavior in Low Moisture Content Upland Soil

Abstract

Soybean seeds (8 kg/rai, rate) inoculated with Bradyrhizobium japonicum (200 g peat carrier, 7.80 x 10 cell/g, peat) were sown in hot (42 45 C), dry (2-4% by weight) soils, at 0, 1, 3, 5, 7 and 10 days in January, 1987 and 0, 10, 15 and 20 days before the first irrigation in February, 1988.
YMA-plate counts showed that survival of inoculated activity by ARA method or in nodule dry weight inoculated rhizobia evaluated by the fluorescent antibody technique, were much higher than from un-inoculated plot, It is suggested that inoculating soybean with Bradyrhizobium japonicum before sowing in dry soil of rain-fed area will increase soybean yield.