Effect of Nitrogen Application on Nodulation in Inoculated Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.)

Abstract

A greenhouse experiment was conducted to study the effect of nitrogen application on the growth and nodulation in chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.). Inoculated chickpea variety Punjab-91 was applied with different doses of nitrogen i.e. 0 (control), 50, 100 and 150 kg N/ha in the form of urea. Data regarding the plant height, oven dry root and shoot weights, and number of nodules per plants were recorded every 15 days after the germination (DAG) of seeds up to a period of 60 days. Results showed a marked increase in plant height and oven dry root and shoot weights of chickpea plants due to nitrogen application. Addition of nitrogen at 100 kg/ha caused maximum increase followed by 150 and 50 kg N/ha, respectively. However, this marked increase in plant growth was only evident at the early growth stage i. e. up to 45 DAG, and at the later growth stages, the differences became less evident. A marked decline in nodulation in chickpea was observed at all the levels of nitrogen application.

Split Application of Nitrogen Fertilizer and Inoculation with Arbuscular Mycorrhiza and Rhizobium ciceri Improve Grain Quality of Chickpea

“…The results of various researches have shown that chickpea usually can tolerate low fertilizer input, and has illustrated different growth patterns and responses to nitrogen application. Many authors reported that nitrogen fertilizer application had significant effects on morphological and physiological traits of chickpea (David and Khan, 2001;Salvagiotti et al, 2008;Glyan'ko et al, 2009;Dar et al, 2016). Some researchers argue that before the symbiosis becomes fully functional, it is required to apply nitrogen fertilizers to legume crops so as to provide adequate amount of N for the young plants.…”