Exploiting Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi-Rhizobia-Legume Symbiosis to Increase Smallholder Farmers’ Crop Production and Resilience Under a Changing Climate

Njeru, Ezekiel Mugendi; Muthini, Morris; Muindi, Mercy Martha; Ombori, Omwoyo; Nchore, S. B.; Runo, Steve; Maingi, John M.

doi:10.1007/978-3-030-37537-9_27

Cited by 5 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 41 publications

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“…The differences in legume varietal response to inoculation in terms of nodulation has been reported as an important trait in legume crop that can be exploited by plant breeders to have crops with a high N fixation ability (Hossain et al, 2016). This is especially in cowpea, where nodulation has been reported to be dependent on the cowpea genotype (Njeru et al, 2020). Although M-66 genotype had the least number and dry weight of nodules, the dry shoot matter did not differ significantly with the other two genotypes.…”

Section: Effectiveness Of Rhizobia In Field Conditionsmentioning

confidence: 96%

Potential of Native Rhizobia to Improve Cowpea Growth and Production in Semiarid Regions of Kenya

Nyaga

Njeru

2020

Front. Agron.

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Cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp] is an important crop for smallholder farmers in the marginal areas of sub-Saharan Africa. However, the crop growth and production are affected by low soil fertility due to poor soil management practices. Here, we assessed the effect of native and commercially available rhizobia inoculants on cowpea nodulation, growth, and yields on three local cowpea genotypes (K-80, M-66, and KVU 27-1) in the semiarid areas of Kenya. Field experiments were set in smallholder farms during the 2019 and 2020 cropping seasons. Native rhizobia were isolated from root nodules of cowpea plants used as trap cultures. The isolates were further assessed for symbiotic efficiency (SE) in the greenhouse and field experiments carried out during the short and long rain seasons. Field experiments were laid out in a randomized complete block design with three replications. The treatments consisted of the commercial inoculant (Biofix), native isolates, native + Biofix (consortium), and an uninoculated control. In the greenhouse, the native isolates significantly increased nodule number and dry weight (DW), shoot DW, and root DW when compared to the uninoculated control. Additionally, 50% of the isolates recorded SE of >80%, while 35.7 and 14.3% of the isolates had SE of 51–80 and <50%, respectively. In the field, rhizobia inoculation significantly (P < 0.05) increased nodulation and shoot DW compared to the uninoculated controls. Remarkably, rhizobia inoculation significantly increased yields where inoculation with native isolates recorded 22.7% increase in yield when compared to uninoculated control in the first season and 28.6% increase in yield in the second season. However, the rhizobia inoculants did not show a preference for any of the cowpea genotypes, and their performance was influenced by season and the study location. Our results demonstrate the existence of superior native isolates with potential to be developed to low-cost biofertilizer for sustainable cowpea production.

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Section: Effectiveness Of Rhizobia In Field Conditionsmentioning

confidence: 96%

Potential of Native Rhizobia to Improve Cowpea Growth and Production in Semiarid Regions of Kenya

Nyaga

Njeru

2020

Front. Agron.

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“…Soil conditions such as pH, presence of organic matter, water availability, and other physicochemical properties affect the infectivity of microbial inoculants (Njeru et al, 2020;Saad et al, 2020). Some PGPM inoculants can confer resilience against such harsh local environmental conditions (Agami et al, 2016).…”

Section: Development Of Microbial Inocula For Smallholder Farmersmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Nutrient availability, soil pH, water, temperature, crop genotype, and cultural management are some of the key drivers determining the survival and function of PGPMs in the soil (Gouda et al, 2018;Gupta et al, 2019). For maximum farm benefits to be realized in a highly heterogenous smallholder systems (Njeru et al, 2020), tradeoffs in balancing the highlighted determinants have to be considered and appropriate farm management practices are ought to be carried out. For instance, the choice of crop species and diversity is critical in stimulating specific plant-microbe interactions and consequently the intended output (Orrell and Bennett, 2013;Saad et al, 2020).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Potential Use of Beneficial Microorganisms for Soil Amelioration, Phytopathogen Biocontrol, and Sustainable Crop Production in Smallholder Agroecosystems

Koskey¹,

Mburu²,

Awino³

et al. 2021

Front. Sustain. Food Syst.

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Smallholder agroecosystems play a key role in the world's food security providing more than 50% of the food produced globally. These unique agroecosystems face a myriad of challenges and remain largely unsupported, yet they are thought to be a critical resource for feeding the projected increasing human population in the coming years. The new challenge to increase food production through agricultural intensification in shrinking per capita arable lands, dwindling world economies, and unpredictable climate change, has led to over-dependence on agrochemical inputs that are often costly and hazardous to both human and animal health and the environment. To ensure healthy crop production approaches, the search for alternative ecofriendly strategies that best fit to the smallholder systems have been proposed. The most common and widely accepted solution that has gained a lot of interest among researchers and smallholder farmers is the use of biological agents; mainly plant growth promoting microorganisms (PGPMs) that provide essential agroecosystem services within a holistic vision of enhancing farm productivity and environmental protection. PGPMs play critical roles in agroecological cycles fundamental for soil nutrient amelioration, crop nutrient improvement, plant tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses, biocontrol of pests and diseases, and water uptake. This review explores different research strategies involving the use of beneficial microorganisms, within the unique context of smallholder agroecosystems, to promote sustainable maintenance of plant and soil health and enhance agroecosystem resilience against unpredictable climatic perturbations.

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Dual inoculation of soybean with <i>Rhizophagus irregularis</i> and commercial <i>Bradyrhizobium japonicum</i> increases nitrogen fixation and growth in organic and conventional soils

Gitonga¹,

Koskey²,

Njeru³

et al. 2021

AIMS Agriculture and Food

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Exploiting Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi-Rhizobia-Legume Symbiosis to Increase Smallholder Farmers’ Crop Production and Resilience Under a Changing Climate

Cited by 5 publications

References 41 publications

Potential of Native Rhizobia to Improve Cowpea Growth and Production in Semiarid Regions of Kenya

Potential of Native Rhizobia to Improve Cowpea Growth and Production in Semiarid Regions of Kenya

Potential Use of Beneficial Microorganisms for Soil Amelioration, Phytopathogen Biocontrol, and Sustainable Crop Production in Smallholder Agroecosystems

Dual inoculation of soybean with <i>Rhizophagus irregularis</i> and commercial <i>Bradyrhizobium japonicum</i> increases nitrogen fixation and growth in organic and conventional soils

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