Rhizobial and Phosphorus Effects on Mung Bean

Lois Opoku, Alice Amoah, Joseph Sarkodie-Addo and Ayamah Azumah

Background and Objective: Mung bean, a protein-rich legume, improved growth and yield with the application of inoculant and phosphorus, enhanced soil fertility and boosted grain production. The experiment aimed to optimize inoculant and phosphorus rates for improving food security. Materials and Methods: During Ghana’s major rainy season, a field study evaluated the effects of three rhizobia inoculant strains (KNUST1002, USDA110, BR3267) and three phosphorus levels (0, 30 and 60% P₂O₅) on mung bean production. Using a 4×3 factorial layout in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD). The data was subjected to ANOVA using GenStat 15, with LSD at a 5% significance level to identify differences between treatment means. Results: The combined application of KNUST1002+30% P₂O₅, KNUST1002+60% P₂O₅, BR3267+30% P₂O₅, BR3267+60% P₂O₅, USDA110+30% P₂O₅ and USDA110+60% P₂O₅ significantly influenced plant height, number of branches, leaf area, number of seeds per pods, 100 seed weight, number of nodules, nodule effectiveness and nodule dry weight. Application of BR3267+0% P₂O₅, had a high significance on the number of pods per plant and grain yield. Conclusion: The study indicated that BR3267 has a high potential to improve mung bean yield and will be cost-effective for farmers to adopt. Therefore, it is recommended that farmers interested in cultivating mung bean in Ghana should inoculate with BR3267 for higher yield.

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