%O We thank K. Papa Rao, P. V. S. Prasad, F.A. Khan,
and S. Chandramohan for assistance in the field and laboratory, Y.S.
Chauhan for help during solarizafion, the Soil Chemistry Unit of
ICRISAT for chemical analyses, and C. Johansen and P. S. Nutman for
their comments on the manuscript
%A O P Rupela
%A M R Sudharshana
%I Springer Verlag
%V 10
%L icrisat4967
%J Biology and Fertility of Soils
%N 3
%P 207-212
%D 1990
%X Soil solarization greatly reduced the native
chickpea Rhirbbium population. With inoculation, it
was possible to increase the population of the Rhizobium
in solarized plots. In the 1st year, 47% nodulation was
obtained with chickpea inoculant strain 1C 59 when introduced
with a cereal crop 2 weeks after the soil solarization
and having a native Rhizobium count of <log-'
soil, and only 13% when introduced 16 wceks after
solarization at the time the chickpeas were sown, with
2.01~d native rhizobia g-' soil. In the non-solarized
plots inoculated with 5.61~d native rhiiohia g-' soil,
only 6% nodulation was obtained with the inoculant. In
the succeeding ycar, non-inoculated chickpea was grown
on the same plots without any solarization or Rhizobium
inoculation The treatment that showed good establishment
of the inoculant strain in ycar I formed 6840 inoculant
nodules. Other treatments indicated a further reduction
in inoculant success, from 1% - 13% to
1 % - 9%. Soil solarization thus allowed an inoculant
strain to successfully displace the high native population
in the field and can serve as a research tool to compare
strains in the field, irreswive of comwtitive ability.
%T Displacement of native rhizobia nodulating chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) by an inoculant strain through soil solarization