Failure of navy beans to respond to inoculation with Rhizobium

Abstract

Three field experiments were conducted at four sites to select a suitable strain of Rhizobium and to gauge the response of navy beans to inoculation with Rhizobium and to ammonium nitrate. Of the seven plantings, only two had satisfactory nodulation despite the presence of effective naturalized rhizobia at all sites. Where nodulation was poor, there were no growth responses to ammonium nitrate. Soil moisture and nitrate levels seem to be implicated in the nodulation failure.