Articles
Effect of inoculation with rhizobia and reduced water supply in yield and biological nitrogen fixing activity of cowpea
Article number
1296_98
Pages
775 – 782
Language
English
Abstract
Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp) is known for its drought tolerance as well as its high biological nitrogen fixing activity.
Deficit and sufficient irrigation levels were applied to hydroponic cultivation of cowpea to investigate whether the reduced water supply affects the yield and the total amount of biological fixed nitrogen in the cowpea.
To do so, plants were either inoculated with Bradyrhizobium pachyrhizi PAC48 or Bradyrhizobium sp.
VULI11 or Bradyrhizobium sp.
VULI11 + Enterobacter sp. to assess their contribution in both nitrogen fixing activity and plants yield as result of two different irrigation levels, namely full irrigation and 50% of the total nutrient solution supply.
To identify the effects of the above factors in N fixing activity and water stress tolerance of cowpea, δ15Ν and δ13C were determined using the natural method of abundance of isotopes 15N and 13C, respectively.
Both yield and biological nitrogen fixing activity were significantly enhanced when inoculated plants were grown under sufficient-watered conditions.
In contrast, both yield and biological nitrogen fixing activity were restricted under water stress conditions.
Furthermore, the stress on cowpea plants caused by drought condition was confirmed by δ13C results.
The conclusion of this study was, despite cowpea being the grain legume most tolerant to drought conditions, the advantages of inoculation with rhizobia in N fixing activity, for the growth and yield of cowpea were eliminated when inoculated plant with strains of Bradyrhizobium sp.
VULI11 + Enterobacter sp. and grown under water stress conditions.
Deficit and sufficient irrigation levels were applied to hydroponic cultivation of cowpea to investigate whether the reduced water supply affects the yield and the total amount of biological fixed nitrogen in the cowpea.
To do so, plants were either inoculated with Bradyrhizobium pachyrhizi PAC48 or Bradyrhizobium sp.
VULI11 or Bradyrhizobium sp.
VULI11 + Enterobacter sp. to assess their contribution in both nitrogen fixing activity and plants yield as result of two different irrigation levels, namely full irrigation and 50% of the total nutrient solution supply.
To identify the effects of the above factors in N fixing activity and water stress tolerance of cowpea, δ15Ν and δ13C were determined using the natural method of abundance of isotopes 15N and 13C, respectively.
Both yield and biological nitrogen fixing activity were significantly enhanced when inoculated plants were grown under sufficient-watered conditions.
In contrast, both yield and biological nitrogen fixing activity were restricted under water stress conditions.
Furthermore, the stress on cowpea plants caused by drought condition was confirmed by δ13C results.
The conclusion of this study was, despite cowpea being the grain legume most tolerant to drought conditions, the advantages of inoculation with rhizobia in N fixing activity, for the growth and yield of cowpea were eliminated when inoculated plant with strains of Bradyrhizobium sp.
VULI11 + Enterobacter sp. and grown under water stress conditions.
Publication
Authors
G. Ntatsi, I. Karavidas, G. Giannikos, A. Tampakaki, D. Savvas
Keywords
hydroponics, Bradyrhizobium, Enterobacter, legumes, Vigna unguiculata, drought stress, biological nitrogen fixation
Groups involved
- Division Precision Horticulture and Engineering
- Division Greenhouse and Indoor Production Horticulture
- Working Group Organic Greenhouse Horticulture
- Working Group Protected Cultivation, Nettings and Screens for Mild Climates
- Working Group Light in Horticulture
- Working Group Vegetable Grafting
- Working Group Computational Fluid Dynamics in Agriculture
- Working Group Mechanization, Digitization, Sensing and Robotics
- Working Group Modelling Plant Growth, Environmental Control, Greenhouse Environment
- Working Group Greenhouse Environment and Climate Control
- Working Group Design and Automation in Integrated Indoor Production Systems
- Commission Agroecology and Organic Farming Systems
- Division Landscape and Urban Horticulture
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