Abstract
Cowpea [ Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp] is an important crop for smallholder farmers in the marginal areas of sub-Saharan Africa. However, the crop growth and production are affected by low soil fertility due to poor soil management practices. Here, we assessed the effect of native and commercially available rhizobia inoculants on cowpea nodulation, growth, and yields on three local cowpea genotypes (K-80, M-66, and KVU 27-1) in the semiarid areas of Kenya. Field experiments were set in smallholder farms during the 2019 and 2020 cropping seasons. Native rhizobia were isolated from root nodules of cowpea plants used as trap cultures. The isolates were further assessed for symbiotic efficiency (SE) in the greenhouse and field experiments carried out during the short and long rain seasons. Field experiments were laid out in a randomized complete block design with three replications. The treatments consisted of the commercial inoculant (Biofix), native isolates, native + Biofix (consortium), and an uninoculated control. In the greenhouse, the native isolates significantly increased nodule number and dry weight (DW), shoot DW, and root DW when compared to the uninoculated control. Additionally, 50% of the isolates recorded SE of >80%, while 35.7 and 14.3% of the isolates had SE of 51–80 and <50%, respectively. In the field, rhizobia inoculation significantly ( P < 0.05) increased nodulation and shoot DW compared to the uninoculated controls. Remarkably, rhizobia inoculation significantly increased yields where inoculation with native isolates recorded 22.7% increase in yield when compared to uninoculated control in the first season and 28.6% increase in yield in the second season. However, the rhizobia inoculants did not show a preference for any of the cowpea genotypes, and their performance was influenced by season and the study location. Our results demonstrate the existence of superior native isolates with potential to be developed to low-cost biofertilizer for sustainable cowpea production.
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Claims 10
Claim · model-written summary
Native rhizobia isolates significantly increased cowpea nodule number and nodule dry weight in the greenhouse compared with the uninoculated control.
- Taxon
- Vigna unguiculata
Vigna unguiculatae1 - Treatment
- native isolatese2
- Interactor
- rhizobiae3symbiont
- Outcome
- nodule number and dry weight (DW)e2
- Direction
- increasede2
- Comparator
- uninoculated controle2
- Setting
- greenhousee2
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“Cowpea [ Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp]”
e2“In the greenhouse, the native isolates significantly increased nodule number and dry weight (DW), shoot DW, and root DW when compared to the uninoculated control”
e3“Native rhizobia were isolated from root nodules of cowpea plants used as trap cultures”
Claim · model-written summary
Native rhizobia isolates significantly increased cowpea shoot and root dry weight in the greenhouse compared with the uninoculated control.
- Taxon
- Vigna unguiculataVigna unguiculatae1
- Treatment
- native isolatese2
- Interactor
- rhizobiae3symbiont
- Outcome
- shoot DW, and root DWe2
- Direction
- increasede2
- Comparator
- uninoculated controle2
- Setting
- greenhousee2
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“Cowpea [ Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp]”
e2“In the greenhouse, the native isolates significantly increased nodule number and dry weight (DW), shoot DW, and root DW when compared to the uninoculated control”
e3“Native rhizobia were isolated from root nodules of cowpea plants used as trap cultures”
Claim · model-written summary
Half of the native isolates (50%) had symbiotic efficiency above 80%.
- Taxon
- Vigna unguiculataVigna unguiculatae1
- Interactor
- rhizobiae3symbiont
- Outcome
- symbiotic efficiency (SE)e5
- Value
- 50%e4
- Qualifier
- SE of >80%e4
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“Cowpea [ Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp]”
e3“Native rhizobia were isolated from root nodules of cowpea plants used as trap cultures”
e4“Additionally, 50% of the isolates recorded SE of >80%, while 35.7 and 14.3% of the isolates had SE of 51–80 and <50%, respectively”
e5“The isolates were further assessed for symbiotic efficiency (SE) in the greenhouse and field experiments”
Claim · model-written summary
Of the native isolates, 35.7% had symbiotic efficiency of 51–80% and 14.3% had efficiency below 50%.
- Taxon
- Vigna unguiculataVigna unguiculatae1
- Interactor
- rhizobiae3symbiont
- Outcome
- symbiotic efficiency (SE)e5
- Value
- 35.7 and 14.3%e4
- Qualifier
- SE of 51–80 and <50%e4
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“Cowpea [ Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp]”
e3“Native rhizobia were isolated from root nodules of cowpea plants used as trap cultures”
e4“Additionally, 50% of the isolates recorded SE of >80%, while 35.7 and 14.3% of the isolates had SE of 51–80 and <50%, respectively”
e5“The isolates were further assessed for symbiotic efficiency (SE) in the greenhouse and field experiments”
Claim · model-written summary
Rhizobia inoculation significantly increased cowpea nodulation and shoot dry weight in the field compared with uninoculated controls.
- Taxon
- Vigna unguiculataVigna unguiculatae1
- Treatment
- rhizobia inoculatione6
- Interactor
- rhizobiae6symbiont
- Outcome
- nodulation and shoot DWe6
- Direction
- increasede6
- Comparator
- uninoculated controlse6
- Setting
- In the fielde6
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“Cowpea [ Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp]”
e6“In the field, rhizobia inoculation significantly ( P < 0.05) increased nodulation and shoot DW compared to the uninoculated controls”
Claim · model-written summary
Inoculation with native isolates increased yield by 22.7% over the uninoculated control in the first season.
- Taxon
- Vigna unguiculataVigna unguiculatae1
- Treatment
- inoculation with native isolatese7
- Interactor
- rhizobiae7symbiont
- Outcome
- yielde7
- Direction
- increasee7
- Value
- 22.7%e7
- Qualifier
- first seasone7
- Comparator
- uninoculated controle7
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“Cowpea [ Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp]”
e7“rhizobia inoculation significantly increased yields where inoculation with native isolates recorded 22.7% increase in yield when compared to uninoculated control in the first season”
Claim · model-written summary
Inoculation with native isolates increased yield by 28.6% over the uninoculated control in the second season.
- Taxon
- Vigna unguiculataVigna unguiculatae1
- Treatment
- inoculation with native isolatese7
- Interactor
- rhizobiae7symbiont
- Outcome
- yielde2
- Direction
- increasee2
- Value
- 28.6%e2
- Qualifier
- second seasone2
- Comparator
- uninoculated controle7
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“Cowpea [ Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp]”
e7“rhizobia inoculation significantly increased yields where inoculation with native isolates recorded 22.7% increase in yield when compared to uninoculated control in the first season”
e2“28.6% increase in yield in the second season”
Claim · model-written summary
The rhizobia inoculants showed no preference for any cowpea genotype.
- Taxon
- Vigna unguiculataVigna unguiculatae1
- Material
- cowpea genotypese2
- Interactor
- rhizobiae2symbiont
- Outcome
- preferencee2
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“Cowpea [ Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp]”
e2“However, the rhizobia inoculants did not show a preference for any of the cowpea genotypes”
Claim · model-written summary
Cowpea performance of the inoculants was influenced by season and study location.
- Taxon
- Vigna unguiculataVigna unguiculatae1
- Outcome
- performancee2
- Setting
- the study locatione2
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“Cowpea [ Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp]”
e2“their performance was influenced by season and the study location”
Claim · model-written summary
The native isolates have potential to be developed into a low-cost biofertilizer for sustainable cowpea production.
- Taxon
- cowpeaVigna unguiculatae2
- Outcome
- low-cost biofertilizere2
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“Cowpea [ Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp]”
e2“Our results demonstrate the existence of superior native isolates with potential to be developed to low-cost biofertilizer for sustainable cowpea production”
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