Effect of lime and inoculation of Mimosa caesalpiniaefolia in acid soil of the forest zone and semiarid region of Pernambuco, Brazil

Abstract

An experiment was carried out in order to evaluate the effect of liming (0, 3 and 6.0 ton ha^-1) in two alic soils of humid forest zone and semiarid region of the State of Pernambuco, Brazil, and rhizobia inoculation with strains NFB 539, NFB 577 and NFB 578, selected to Mimosa caesalpiniaefolia in previous assays with culture media using crescent levels of Al³⁺ and acidity. Treatments without inoculation with and without N addition (100 kg ha^-1) were included. A factorial 2x3x5 was used in a randomized block design with four replicates. Plants were harvested at 110 days after emergence (DAE). Rhizobia inoculation showed significative effect regarding all parameters evaluated, at the lime levels used. M. caesalpiniaefolia did not respond to liming, however when used the level 6.0 ton ha^-1, reduction in dry matter, N total uptake, nodulation and nitrogenase activity occurred. The low pH and high Al³⁺ in the natural soil did not promote injurious effect on N₂ fixation and on growth of plants inoculated, showing that lime addition is not necessary to M. caesalpiniaefolia tree legume cropped in acid soils when strains selected to acidity are used.