Economic Assessment of Rhizobium tropici and Azospirillum brasilense Co-Inoculation in Common Bean

• Published in: Agricultural research (India : Online) Vol. 13; no. 2; pp. 216 - 224
• Main Authors: Messias, Matheus, de Brito Ferreira, Enderson Petrônio, da Silva, Osmira Fátima, Wander, Alcido Elenor
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New Delhi Springer India 2024; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Azospirillum brasilense; Beans; Biodiversity; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Cell Biology; Cropping systems; Economic analysis; Economics; Environmental impact; Fertilization; Fertilizers; Field tests; Full-Length Research Article; Furrows; Inoculation; Life Sciences; Nitrogen; Plant Biochemistry; Plant Ecology; Plant Genetics and Genomics; Plant Sciences; Production costs; Profitability; Rhizobium tropici; Benefit-cost-ratio; Cost of production; L; sp
• ISSN: 2249-720X; 2249-7218
• DOI: 10.1007/s40003-023-00692-5

The common bean cropping system has a high cost, mainly due to using nitrogen fertilisers. An alternative for a replacement to reduce production costs is the co-inoculation technique of
Rhizobium tropici
and
Azospirillum brasilense
. This study aimed to evaluate the economic viability of co-inoculation of common beans via sowing furrow. Data from five field experiments conducted in three locations in three seasons were used. The treatments consisted of absolute control (without inoculation and fertilisation), nitrogen fertilisation, simple inoculation with
R. tropici
and co-inoculation with
R. tropici
and different doses of
A. brasilense
applied in the sowing furrow. The economic analysis was carried out based on market prices and indexes, depending on the grain production of the different treatments. Treatment with nitrogen fertiliser (80 kg ha
−1
of N) resulted in higher production costs, with an average value of USD 1,889 ha
−1
. Co-inoculation with two doses of
R. tropici
and four doses of
A. brasilense
provided the highest mean gross revenue values, net income and benefit-cost-ratio. Co-inoculation with two doses of
R. tropici
and four doses of
A. brasilense
resulted in a benefit-cost-ratio of 8 to 11% greater than simple inoculation with
Rhizobium tropici
, nitrogen treatment and commercial inoculant. Co-inoculation with
R. tropici
and
A. brasilense
, in addition to providing high yields, also provides high profitability, proving to be a technology that can contribute to the reduction/replacement of the use of nitrogen fertilisers and reduction of environmental impacts without compromising yield and profitability of common beans.