Inoculation, liming and fertilization of Mucuna aterrima and Canavalia ensiformis in a red-yellow podzolic soil

Abstract

Two greenhouse experiments were conducted at EMBRAPA/CNPAB in a Red-Yellow Podzolic, Itaguaí series, distrophic soil. Rhizobium inoculation was tested of velvetbean (Mucuna aterrima) and jackbean (Canavalia ensiformis) and lime, P, K, S and micronutrients amendments for these two legumes. Two Rhizobium strains were tested for each plant and a control without inoculation in a factorial design with three liming levels in the presence and absence of P, K, S and micronutrients as basic soil fertilization. The basic fertilization promoted an increase on the plant and nodule weight, and total plant nitrogen content principally in velvetbean. Liming gave a positive effect for plant weight and total N of velvetbean and no effect over jackbean. Jackbean showed higher tolerance for low fertility acid soil. These was no difference between rhizobium strains inoculation compared with the spontaneous nodulation.