Responses to inoculation of Phaseolus beans on N2Africa trials in Ethiopia, Tanzania, Rwanda and Zimbabwe

Nodulation, Nitrogen Fixation and Productivity of Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) Varieties as Influenced by Rhizobial Inoculation and Phosphorus Application on Farmers’ Fields in Minna, Southern Guinea Savanna of Nigeria. 2018 by O.A. Adediran, A. O. Osunde, A. Bala, M. Dianda, H. Ibrahim, O. O. Olufajo and J. A. Oladiran.

• George Mwenda: Characterization of nitrogen-fixing bacteria from Phaseolus vulgaris L.

I carried out glasshouse and laboratory work at Murdoch University, with Zimbabwean isolates of soyabean root nodule bacteria that I collected from soils with a history of inoculation in Zimbabwe. I worked with a total of 137 soyabean root nodule bacteria isolates that were revealed by molecular methods to be drawn from the four species, Bradyrhizobium diazoefficiens, B. elkanii, B. japonicum and B. ottawaense. Although sites had been inoculated with B. diazoefficiens, they were dominated by the indigenous B. elkanii.

African farmers are increasingly presented with innovative technologies to maximise their agricultural production potential and remain food secure. One of the innovations has been through the biological nitrogen fixation project N2Africa promoting proven legume technology packages (Improved seed varieties, phosphorus fertilisers, inoculants for improved productivity. Whereas considerable efforts have been made, adoption remains low due to limited knowledge and information on available technologies, inputs, credit and other services.

Six months after his MSc Animal Sciences, Wilson Charles returned to Wageningen University in April 2018 for a PhD program while registered at Plant Production Systems group. Primarily, he joined N2Africa and The Missing Middle project where his research focuses on exploring the role of the current soyabean-chicken-maize value chains in sustaining diverse diets in the Southern Highlands of Tanzania.

Climbing bean is a very important crop in Rwanda especially in the highlands of the Northern Province. However, yields achieved by farmers in the area remain low. This is due to overexploitation of the tiny lands with little or no fertilizer use. A field experiment was established in Kinoni and Muko villages of the Northern Province to identify which nutrients are limiting in climbing, using the Compositional Nutrient Diagnosis (CND) and the Diagnosis and Recommendation Integrated System (DRIS). Climbing bean leaf samples were collected in 56 plots from experimental fields.

My study aimed to exploit rhizobia inoculation, phosphorus application, varietal differences and sequential cropping system to improve the productivity and profitability of cowpea per unit area in Minna, Nigeria. Glasshouse and field experiments were conducted between 2015 and 2017. The treatments evaluated during the study were: five rhizobial strains (USDA 3451, USDA 3384, BR 3262, BR 3267, control), three phosphorus rates (0, 20 and 40 kg P ha^-1), six varieties of cowpea and soils were collected from 20 locations in Nigerian savannas.

Cowpea is an important grain legume valued for its N₂-fixing ability and nutritional attributes of its grain and leaves. The symbiotic relationship of cowpea with its microsymbiont rhizobia do account for 96% of its N requirement, can as well contribute to the N needs of subsequent cereal crops in Sub-Saharan Africa, where soils are nutrient-poor.

Last June, a small case study was done in northern Ghana to investigate how farmers perceived their interactions with N2Africa. Any agricultural development project – N2Africa included – can work with only a limited number of people. This means that some people within a community may benefit more than others. Farmers indeed recognized this. See the two text blocks below: