Response of Vice faba to Seed Inoculation Nitrogen and Phosphorus at Two Different Areas in Sudan PDF

Keywords

faba beans, Sudan, seed inoculation

Abstract

The effect of starter N and P were studied on seed inoculated faba bean at three different locations in the Sudan namely Wad Medani and Turabi in the Gezira (new area) and Abu Hasheem (traditional faba bean growing area) in the Northern Province. Starter N (20 kg N/ha) dose seemed to inhibit nodulation in the warmer area of Wad Medani while at the relatively cooler area of Abu Hasheem, the depressing starter N effect on nodule formulation was not evident. Inoculation resulted in increased nodulation and plant dry matter production up to 6-8 weeks from sowing. Increased nodulation, however, was not reflected in shoot N uptake or seed yield. Phosphorus enhanced nodulation, nitrogen fixation and seed yield. The enhancement was greater when a starter dose of N was applied. It seemed to have increase biological N2 fixation and/or the N use efficiency by faba beans. It is worth mentioning that P application though resulted in significantly higher seed yields, but it at the same time reduced the 1000 seed weight. On the other hand, faba bean seed yield did not respond to seed inoculation or even fertilizer N in both areas in the absence of P. This indicated efficient N-fixation by the indigenous rhizobia in both areas.