Influence of Molybdenum doses in inoculation and mineral fertilization in cowpea beans

Abstract

In some leguminous plants, associations with nitrogen-fixing microorganisms allow their nutrition with nitrogen (N) from the atmosphere. This process is known as Biological Nitrogen Fixation (BNF), where through nitrogenase enzymes, N₂ is converted to an available form. This process can replace in part, or in total, nitrogen fertilizers. Cowpea bean is a legume species that is recognized for its high capacity to carry out BNF. In the last decades, studies have encouraged small farmers from north and northeast Brazil to use inoculants with rhizobia species since the results of researches have demonstrated that inoculation is an interesting strategy to improve cowpea production. Considering the specific function of molybdenum (Mo) in the N assimilation, different doses of Mo were tested in this study in order to find doses that could improve and enhance BNF. Therefore, this study aimed to compare nitrogen fertilization and BNF in the N assimilation by plants with different Mo doses. Inoculation was performed with the strains UFLA 03-84 and INPA 03-11B. Doses of Mo were applied in seeds and each pot contained five seeds. Thirty-five days after germination, the plants were analyzed for shoot dry matter and fresh matter, N contents and accumulation, as well as the Soil-Plant Analysis Development (SPAD) Index and nodulation in inoculated plants. The different doses of Mo and also the nodulation treatments did not show significant differences in the contents of N. Plants with N fertilization had significant higher shoot dry matter and root dry matter production, in addition to higher N foliar contents and N accumulation. Therefore, BNF was not as efficient as nitrogen fertilization in the evaluated experimental conditions using cowpea beans.