Evaluating the Effect of Bio Fertilizers and Nitrogen Fertilizer on Rate of Biological Nitrogen Fixation (BNF) and Nodulation of Cowpea Varieties in Ahwaz, Iran

In order to examine the effect of phosphate bio-fertilizer containing symbiotic and nonsymbiotic bacteria and nitrogen fertilizer on indigenous and non-indigenous varieties of cowpea a factorial experiment in the form of randomized complete block design was carried out in Ahvaz in 2013. Biological fertilizers with trade name of phosphate (fertile 2) for soybean containing Brady rhizobium Japonicum and Nano biological fertilizer of Biozer containing Rhizobium Phaseoli, nitrogen fertilizer, and control treatment and the indigenous cultivars including Kamran, Baghdadi, Farokhshahri, and Texas Sabili (Mustache) and the non-indigenous cultivar of dwarf Italian were examined in three replications. The ANOVA results showed that there was a significant difference between the effect of fertilizer levels, varieties, and their interactive effect in terms of the number of nodes, active nodes, root dry weight, and the rate of biological nitrogen fixation. The highest rate in the mentioned factors belonged to the treatment with biological phosphate (fertile 2) for soybean and then Nano biological fertilizer of Biozer and the treatment with cultivar of Texas Sabili (mustache) and F3V4 and the lowest rate belonged to the treatment with nitrogen fertilizer and F1V1. In general, the treatment inoculated with biological fertilizers and indigenous varieties showed better biological fixation ability; therefore, the use of native cultivars and fertilizers containing symbiotic bacteria for biological nitrogen fixation in terms of economy and development of sustainable and organic agriculture can improve the cowpea production in the current conditions.

Cowpea,nitrogen fixation, biofertilizer, inoculation, nodulation