IMPROVED COWPEA (Vigna unguiculata L. WALP.) RHIZOBIUM TOLERATE TO DROUGHT AND SALINITY CONDITIONS USING CO-INCULATION
KADHIMIYAH JAWAD ABDULLAH Al- MANSOR *
Department of Soil Sciences and Water Resources, College of Agriculture, Basra University, Iraq
ABDAL ZAHRA TAHATHAHER
Department of Soil Sciences and Water Resources, College of Agriculture, Basra University, Iraq
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
The study was conducted to find out the effect of adding a mixture inoculation and its tolerance to salinity and lack of moisture on the growth of cowpea plant and its absorption of N , P and K nutrients, After planting and growing cowpea plant for a period of 60 days, then the plants were harvested and dried at 70°C for 48 hours, and their dry weight was taken, then milled, sifted and digested , then N, P and K were measured, and the roots of the plant was separated using a light water current and were count the number of root nodules for each plant.
The results showed that:
1- The mixed inoculation treatment (I7) increased the rate of dry weight, root nodule number and nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium concentration in cowpea plant.
2- An increase in salinity levels reduced the rate of dry weight, average root nodule number, nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium concentration in cowpea plant and the same results were obtained with reducing moisture condition.
3- The mixed inoculation were increase the tolerance of cowpea plant to the salinity and drought condition led to an increase in N , P , K absorption and enhances the root nodules formation and increase dry weight .
Keywords: Rhizobia, cowpea, tolerance, salinity, drought.