Dry beans do respond to inoculation

Abstract

Rhizobial strains were evaluated in TagTeam® peat and granular formulations for their effectiveness at increasing yields in dry beans. Five strains were formulated as TagTeam® peat and tested with Nighthawk black beans in 1999. Yield increases ranged from 3% to 46% over controls. Two strains were superior and were reevaluated in 2000 in both granular and peat formulations of TagTeam®. Two classes of beans were used and consisted of black bean (cv. Expresso) and pinto bean (cv. Camino). There was a strain response in the granule formulation, while both strains performed similarly in the peat. The formulation response was consistent in both bean classes. Overall the inoculant response was greater in the black bean (var. Express) than in the pinto bean (cv. Camino). In 2000, a second control was added that consisted of 40 lbs/acre additional nitrogen. This nitrogen control had the highest yield increases and demonstrated that even though there is a response to inoculation, fertilizer nitrogen is important for reaching top yields.