• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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• v.48 no.5
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• pp.361-368
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• 2003

The responses of five varieties and three cultivars of pea (Pisum sativum) to Rhizobium inoculation on nodulation, growth, nitrogenase activity, dry matter production and N uptake were investigated. The pea varieties were IPSA Motorshuti-l, IPSA Motorshuti-2, IPSA Motorshuti-3, BARI Motorshuti-l, BARI Motorshuti-2 and the cultivars were 063, Local small and Local white. Fifty percent seeds of each pea variety/cultivar were inoculated with a mixture of Rhizobium inoculants at rate of 15g/kg seed and the remaining fifty percent seeds were kept uninoculated. The plants inoculated with Rhizobium inoculant significantly increased nodulation, growth, nitrogenase activity, dry matter production and N uptake. Among the varieties/cultivars, BARI Motorshuti-l performed best in almost all parameters including nitrogenase activity of root nodule bacteria of the crop. There were positive correlations among the number and dry weight of nodules (r=$0.987^{**}$, $0.909^{**}$), nitrogenase activity of root nodule bacteria (r=$0.944^{**}$, $0.882^{**}$), dry weight of shoot (r=$0.787^{**}$, $0.952^{**}$), N content (r=$0.594^{**}$, $0.605^{**}$) and N uptake (r=$0.784^{**}$, $0.922^{**}$) by shoot both at flowering and pod filling stages of the crop, respectively. It was concluded that BARI Motorshuti-l in symbiotic association with Rhizobium inoculant performed best in recording nitrogenase activity, dry matter production and N uptake by pea.