THE EFFECT OF LEVEL OF CaCO₃, INOCULATION AND LIME PELLETING ON THE NODULATION AND GROWTH OF BEANS IN FIVE ACID SOILS

• Published in: Plant and soil Vol. 62; no. 1; pp. 53 - 63
• Main Author: SSALI, H.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Martinus Nijhoff/Dr W.Junk Publishers 01-02-1981
• Subjects: Acid soils; Calcareous soils; Inoculation; Nodulation; Nodules; Orchard soils; Organic soils; Pelleted feed; Soil inoculation; Soil organic matter
• ISSN: 0032-079X; 1573-5036
• DOI: 10.1007/BF02205025

The effect of level of CaCO₃, inoculation and lime pelleting on the nodulation, dry matter yield and % N content of common bean plants (Phaseolus vulgaris) grown in five acid soils was investigated in a greenhouse study. The soils represented a range in pH from 3.9 to 5.1, in exchangeable Al from 0.0 to 4 meq/100 gm, in exchangeable Mn from 0.35 to 2.32 me/100 gm, and in %C from 0.69 to 5.60. Nodule weight decreased with increasing %C and for the soil with highest %C (5.60) no nodules were observed. In soils with low organic matter and low exchangeable Al and Mn, inoculation increased nodule weight, dry matter yield and %N especially at the lowest pH level. Where the seeds were not inoculated, nodule weight and dry matter yield increased with soil pH. No such increases were observed where the seeds were inoculated. There was no apparent advantage in lime pelleting in such soils. In soils with low organic matter content and with substantial amounts of Al and/or Mn, liming increased nodule weight and dry matter yield, and decreased exchangeable Al and/or Mn. Lime pelleting was superior to mere inoculation in increasing nodule weight particularly at low lime rates. In soils with relatively high organic matter content, nodulation was very low or none at all. Low lime rates had little effect on exchangeable Al and Ca and dry matter yield. Higher lime rates, however, decreased exchangeable Al and dry matter yield but increased exchangeable Ca.