Effective natural nodulation of peanuts in Queensland

Abstract

In field experilnents, peanuts nodulated naturally in both a scrub and a forest soil at Kingaroy. Seed and soil inoculations were attempted, but it was difficult to superimpose the inoculum strain on the existing soil rhizobial population. There was a yield response to some inoculation treatments on new land with lower rhizobial count but not on land cropped previously to peanuts. Glasshouse tests confirmedthat the majority of field isolates of peanut rhizobia were effective in nitrogen fixation. Natural transfer of rhizobia on seed was recorded.
It was concluded that inoculation of peanuts was unlikely to be adopted in this peanut growing district.