Phosphorus allocation in Phaseolus vulgaris L. colonized with Rhizobium tropici

White cultivar of Phaseolus vulgaris L. (HUR-15) was grown in sodic soil of N.D. University of Agriculture and technology, Kumarganj, Faizabad to study the effect of N, P and Rhizobium inoculation on phosphorus partitioning in the crop. Application of nitrogenous and phosphatic fertilizers increased phosphorus content in both, inoculated and non-inoculated plants of French bean. Content of phosphorus was the highest in leaf and the lowest in root (Leaf > Stem > Root) in early stage of plant growth and the similar pattern of phosphorus partitioning was observed at pod filling stage (Pod > Leaf > Stem> Root). Grain contained 12.2 time higher phosphorous than straw in non-inoculated plants. However, this difference was only of 11.1 times in case of inoculated plants. The highest dose of mineral N (@ 120 kg/ha) in combination with P (120 kg/ha) resulted the highest content of phosphorus in various plant parts at different stages of plant growth especially in non-inoculated plants. However, N40P120S1 was found the best treatment to assimilate the highest amount of phosphorus in inoculated plants. This treatment was found significantly superior over all other treatments and at par to N120P120 in increasing the phosphorus contents in root, stem, leaf, pod and grain of French bean at different stages of plant growth. Application of Rhizobium tropici, a newly adduced species of Rhizobium increased phosphorus content in grain by 1.5% over control. However, this difference became greater (28.4%) when French bean was treated with N40P120S1. Almost similar difference (28.3 per cent) was recorded in N120P120 treated plants.