RESPONSES OF HAIRY VETCH (VICIA-VILLOSA ROTH) AND COMMON VETCH (VICIA-SATIVA L) TO INOCULATION WITH RHIZOBIA AND TO APPLICATION OF CARBAMIDE

The responses of hairy vetch (Vicia villosa Roth.) and common vetch (V . sativa L.) to inoculation with four effective Rhizobium leguminosaru m by. viceae strains and to carbamide application have been examined i n pot-culture experiments. In hairy vetch, inoculation with rhizobia r esulted in a greater accumulation in dry biomass and total nitrogen in plants (about 85%) than when combined nitrogen was applied (45 - 50%) . When hairy vetch was grown in a mixed culture with oats, vetch dry w eight increased from 48 to 70% in response to inoculation, while oat y ield remained at the level of uninoculated treatment. The total vetch- oat biomass was the greatest upon application of nitrogen fertilizer ( due to the dramatic increase in oat yield), whereas nitrogen content i n the biomass was high upon both inoculation and carbamide application . Common vetch, on the contrary, responded to applied carbamide (a 49. 6% gain in dry weight) more strongly than to inoculation with rhizobia (a 16.2% increase in dry weight). The two vetch cultivars (cv.) studi ed responded differently to both nitrogen sources: cv. Belotserkovskay a 222 was less responsive to inoculation with rhizobia than cv. Nemchi novskaya 72, but was superior with respect to utilizing carbamide.