Phenological and Morphological Response of Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) Rhizobia and Azotobacter Inoculation

Excessive use of nitrogen has become a threat to human health and the environment due to high concentrations of nitrate and nitrite accumulating in surface and ground waters. Biological dinitrogen fixation (N2) is a very important natural process in world agriculture. Rhizobia is a common name for a certain Gram-negative group of Alphaproteobacteria and Betaproteobacteria that can form nodules on the root and fix nitrogen in symbiosis with legumes as their host plants. Azotobacter spp. is a free-living microorganism that has the ability to fix atmospheric nitrogen into the soil. Field trials were carried out of Eskişehir Osmangazi University Field Crops Department experiment areas during the production season of 2017 and 2019. The study was evaluated the effects on morphological and phenologocial characters of two N doses (0 and 25 kg ha-1 N), four bacteria inoculations (control, Rhizobia, Azotobacter, Rhizobia + Azotobacter) on chickpea cultivars (Azkan, Akca, Cakir, Isik). Experiment arranged in split split plot experimental design with three replications. Nitrogen application positively affected number of days to emergence, number of branches, branch diameter and grain yield. Phenological and morphological properties affected by climate conditions. The high temperature caused the number of days to emergence, number of days to flowering and number of days to maturity to be earlier in the second year. Plant height, first pod height and grain yield were higher first year than second year due to high precipitation. While the response of the cultivars was different in terms of phenological properties, Azkan cultivar gave the best results in terms of morphological properties. Rhizobia + Azotobacter inoculation gave the best results in terms of phenological and morphological characteristics except for number of days to maturity. Rhizobia + Azotobacter inoculation can lead to additional income generation of the farming community in Turkey. The use of biofertilizers may reduce the application of chemical fertilizers and we get healthy, pollution-free production for a better future for our increasing populations.