Abstract
Field experiments were carried out at a Regional Agricultural Research Station (RARS), Rahmatpur, Barisal, Bangladesh for two consecutive rabi seasons in 2002-03 and 2003-04 with a view to assessing the effect of Rhizobium inoculation on four cultivars of chickpea. Four chickpea cultivars, namely BARI Chola-3, BARI Chola-4, BARI Chola-5 and BARI Chola-6, were used in these trials. Basic doses of phosphorus, potassium, sulphur and zinc were applied at the rate of 22 kg P, 42 kg K, 20 kg S and 5 kg Zn per ha without any nitrogen dose under both inoculated and uninoculated conditions. There were eight treatments and four replications. The experiment was designed in randomized complete block having 4 replications in each treatment. The Rhizobium strain used was BARI RCa-220. The variety BARI Chola-3 produced significantly higher nodule numbers and nodule weights, and BARI Chola-5 produced significantly higher seed yields. Inoculated plants gave significantly higher nodule number, nodule weight, root weight, shoot weight, stover yield and seed yield compared to non-inoculated plants. The seed yields of the BARI Chola-5 variety (1.80 t/ha and 1.85 t/ha) were increased by 20.0% and 19.4% over uninoculated treatments for two consecutive rabi seasons in 2002-03 and 2003-04. Uninoculated BARI Chola-3 recorded the lowest yields in both these years.
