Journal of Food Legumes

Inoculation with effective Rhizobium strains is an essential practice that helps the plant to fix atmospheric nitrogen symbiotically and stimulates the growth of plants and ultimately leads to better produce. In this present study, the Rhizobium strains were isolated from the root nodules of lentil plants form Murshidabad district of West Bengal, using Yeast Extract Mannitol Agar (YEMA) medium. Based on different biochemical tests and growth on YEMA medium, 5 isolates were selected and a pot experiment was carried to study the effect of those selected Rhizobium strains on plant growth and root nodulation. Inoculation with Rhizobium strains resulted in better growth and nodulation over un-inoculated control. Among the five strains, T₁ strain recorded the highest plant height, maximum number of primary and secondary branches, number of nodules and number of pods compared to other strains.