Rhizobium inoculation, cultivar and management effects on the growth, development and yield of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.)

Genotypic differences in growth and yield of two common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L) cultivars to Rhizobium inoculation and management were investigated. In 2003-04, the two bean cultivars (Scylla and T-49) were combined with three inoculant treatments (strains CC 511 and RCR 3644, and a control of no inoculation), two fertiliser levels (0 and 150 kg N ha⁻¹) and two irrigation treatments (irrigated and rainfed). There was no nodulation on either cultivar. To further investigate the symbiotic relationship, 16 rhizobial isolates, including the two used in the first field experiment, were combined with the cultivar Scylla and evaluated in a greenhouse. Subsequently, five Rhizobium isolates were chosen for further field evaluation, based on signs of early nodulation in the greenhouse trial. The second field experiment in 2004-05 combined the five inoculant strains (RCR 3644, UK 2, H 20, PRF 81, PhP 17 and a control) with two bean cultivars (Scylla and T-49). In the greenhouse, nodule number varied from 7 (UK 2) to 347 (H 441) nodules plant⁻¹ at 51 DAS and from 13 (UK 1) to 335 (CIAT 899) nodules plant⁻¹ at 85 DAS. In 2004-05, in the field, nodulation was also variable, ranging between 1 and approximately 70 nodules plant⁻¹, with higher nodules numbers plant⁻¹ being found on cultivar T-49. Of the isolates used in the field, strains H 20, PRF 81 and PhP 17 produced 70, 25 and 12 nodules plant⁻¹ at 70, 40 and 54 DAS respectively. Nodules formed were of various sizes and more than 80 % were pink to dark red in colour denoting the presence of leghaemoglobin and active N fixation. The remaining nodules were either green or white. The importance of selecting an appropriate cultivar for the growing conditions was highlighted in these experiments. Leaf area index, leaf area duration intercepted radiation and final utilisation efficiency were significantly affected by cultivar. In both seasons cv. T-49 reached maturity (dry seed) before Scylla, while unirrigated plants reached green pod maturity seven days before irrigated plants. Plants of cv. Scylla gave a final TDM of 730 g m⁻²; compared to the 530 g m⁻² produced by T-49. The average growth rate was 7.0 and 5.2 g m⁻² day⁻¹ for Scylla and T-49 respectively (2003-04). Plants receiving 150 kg N ha⁻¹ produced 665 g m⁻² TDM which was 12 % more than was produced by unfertilised plants. The application of 150 kg N ha⁻¹ gave an average growth rate of 6.4 g m⁻² day⁻¹ compared to 5.7 g m⁻² day⁻¹ from plants with no N. Inoculation in the field had no significant effect on TDM in both seasons. Temperature affected growth and DM accumulation. Accumulated DM was highly dependent on cumulative intercepted PAR. Air temperatures below the base temperature (10 °C) affected growth in 2004-05, resulting in plants accumulating just 0.24 g DM MJ⁻¹ PAR during early growth. This increased to 2.26 g DM MJ⁻¹ PAR when the temperature was increased above the base temperature. There was a strong relationship between LAI and intercepted PAR. A LAI of 4.0-4.5 was required to intercept 90-95 % of incident solar radiation. Cultivar significantly (p < 0.001) affected radiation use efficiency (RUE). Scylla had a RUE of 1.02 g DM MJ⁻¹ PAR compared to T-49 at 1.18 g DM MJ⁻¹ PAR. Seed yield was significantly (p < 0.001) affected by cultivar and fertiliser application. Cultivar Scylla produced 467 g m⁻² which was 76 % more than T-49, while a 12 % increase in seed yield was observed in N fertilised plants over unfertilised plants. Only cultivar significantly affected HI, while the yield components that had the greatest effect on seed yield were hundred seed weight and pods plant⁻¹. Inoculation significantly (p< 0.05) affected 100 seed weight (2004-05). Plants inoculated with strain H 20 had the highest 100 seed weight at 25.2 g with cv. Scylla producing larger seeds than T-49. The belief that local environmental conditions play a major role on field survival of bacteria, led to the use of PCR methods to identify field nodulating organisms. Amplification of genomic DNA from parent isolates using primers fC and rD generated a single band for each isolate. Isolates were identified to the species level as either Rhizobium or Agrobacterium, using the highly conserved internally transcribed spacer (ITS) region and are known to nodulate common bean. The DNA extracted from the isolates recovered from nodules of field grown beans gave multiple bands with primers fC and rD. Five distinct banding patterns were observed. All of these were different from those of parent isolates. Sequencing of the 16S rRNA demonstrated that nodules of field grown beans in Canterbury were inhabited by Pseudomonads either alone or in association with other root nodulating organisms. The inability to identify the inoculant strains in nodules of field grown beans does not rule out their infection and nodulating function in the cultivars used. The results suggest the possibility of both Rhizobium and Pseudomonads cohabiting in the nodules of field grown beans. The aggressive nature of Pseudomonads on artificial media, possibly out competing the inoculant rhizobia is proposed, leading to the inability to identify the inoculant strain from the nodules of the field grown beans by PCR methods. The need to identify the nodule forming or nodule inhabiting bacteria in the nodules is necessary to classify the importance of these organisms and their economic benefit to agricultural production. This study also underlines the importance of using PCR methods to gain valuable insights into the ecological behaviour of Rhizobium inoculants and nodule inhabiting organisms.