Response of Several Soybean Varieties to Co-inoculation with Rhizobium and Mycorrhiza Biofertilizers in Dryland of East Lombok, Indonesia

Abstract

In Indonesia, soybean is the most important legume crop, which can develop Rhizobium and mycorrhizal symbiosis for better nutrition, especially in dryland areas. A trial for investigating responses of several varieties of soybean to co-inoculation with Rhizobium and mycorrhiza biofertilizers has been carried out in East Lombok, Indonesia, from August to October 2022. The Randomized Block Design was used to arrange the two treatment factors tested, i.e. biofertilizer application (B0= without biofertilizer; B1= Rhizobium inoculant; B2: co-inoculation of soybean with Rhizobium and mycorrhiza biofertilizers) and soybean varieties (V1= Detap, V2: Biosoy-2, V3= Dena-1). The trial was made in three blocks (replications). The variables included plant height, trifoliate number, root volume, and biomass yield and pod number as a yield potential. Results indicated that co-inoculation several varieties of soybean with Rhizobium and mycorrhiza biofertilizer increased yield potential of soybean in dryland as indicated by higher nodule number, trifoliate number, pod number and biomass yield of soybean, especially of Detap (V1) and Dena-1 (V3) varieties under co-inoculation treatment (B2), compared to inoculation with Rhizobium only (B1) or unioculated control (B0). Further studies on more varieties of soybean need to be conducted in different types of soil to find out the most responsive varieties to co-inoculation with Rhizobium and mycorrhiza biofertilizer to increase soybean productivity especially in dryland areas.