IMPROVED GROWTH AND YIELD OF FABA BEANS (VICIA-FABA CV FJORD) BY INOCULATION WITH STRAINS OF RHIZOBIUM-LEGUMINOSARUM BIOVAR VICIAE IN ACID SOILS IN SOUTH-WEST VICTORIA

The response of faba beans (Vicia faba L. cv. Fiord) to seed inoculati on with eight strains of Rhizobium leguminosarum biovar. viciae was ex amined in field experiments at six sites on acid soils in south-west V ictoria. At two of the sites, two additional strains were examined, an d in 1988, 14 strains were examined at one site. Very low natural popu lations of R. leguminosarum bv. viciae were found at the experimental sites. Most strains resulted in improved early nodulation and increase d grain yield at all sites, when compared to inoculation with the comm ercial strain of rhizobia (SU391). Plant dry matter production and nit rogen accumulation in the plant shoot tissue was also increased at one site during the flowering period by some strains. Large visual differ ences between plots inoculated with SU391 and other strains were evide nt at most sites. Most uninoculated treatments were not nodulated and yielded very poorly. Treatments inoculated with the strain SU391 perfo rmed similarly to the uninoculated treatments.