Thirty one selected bean lines were evaluated in the field for ability to support N 2 fixation when intercropped with maize which received 0, 30 and 60 kg N ha-I as ammonium sulphate. The amount of fixed N 2 was estimated using the natural variation of ~5N and wheat as the standard non-fixing crop. Nitrogen as low as 15 kg N ha -1 at sowing suppressed nodule weight and activity (acetylene reduction activity) but not nodule number, suggesting that the main effect of mineral N was on nodule development and function. I~N data revealed a high potential of the bean genotypes to fix N 2, with the most promising ones averaging between 50-60% of seed N coming from fixation. Bean lines CNF-480, Puebla-152, Mexico-309, Negro Argel, CNF-178, Venezuela-350 and WBR22-3, WBR22-50 and WBR22-55 were ranked as good fixers.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.