Australia
February 7, 2014

Field peas

Inoculated faba beans in Western Victoria yielded one tonne per hectare more than a comparative uninoculated crop and added 180 kilograms/ha of extra fixed nitrogen (N) to the soil, according to a new Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) publication.

The Inoculating Legumes Back Pocket Guide states that inoculated legumes will, on average, fix 25 kg of N per tonne of legume shoot dry matter. The guide advises growers of legumes to use only quality inoculants (those labelled with Australian Inoculants Research Group green tick of approval), match the correct inoculants group to each legume, and sow freshly inoculated seed as soon as possible and within 24 hours of inoculation.

The Back Pocket Guide also provides useful information on various inoculant formulations, the process of seed coating, how to assess nodulation, troubleshooting nodulation failure and includes tailored advice about inoculation of different legume crops. Distributed with the January-February edition of GRDC’s Ground Cover magazine, the guide is also available for viewing and downloading via www.grdc.com.au/GRDC-BPG-InoculatingLegumes.

Website: http://www.grdc.com.au

Published: February 7, 2014