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Effect of Nutrition on Trifolium hirtum Inoculated with Rhizobium trifolii¹

ABSTRACT

The growth and chemical composition of Trifolium hirtum plants inoculated with effective strains of Rhizobium trifolii and grown in sand cultures in the greenhouse were studied in two experiments. In the first, element ratios remained constant, but a complete nutrient solution of three concentration levels with and without supplementary nitrogen was used. In the second experiment, two levels of supply each of potassium, calcium, and magnesium were used without supplementary nitrogen in a 2 x 2 x 2 factorial experimental design.

The highest yields in the two experiments were obtained in the first one when supplementary nitrogen was supplied to the plants in the nutrient solution. This indicated that in these experiments maximum yields were not possible with symbiotically fixed nitrogen alone. The data also indicate that symbiotic nitrogen fixation and yield of T. hirtum are closely related to the interrelation of the levels of supply of potassium, calcium, and magnesium. The results of these experiments show that this plant is very sensitive to its nutrient supply, and this characteristic suggests a delicate nutrient-balance requirement to achieve the most efficient symbiotic nitrogen fixation and the best crop yields.

¹ Contribution from Horticultural Crops Research Branch and Soil and Water Conservation Research Branch, A.R.S., U.S.D.A., Beltsville, Md.

² Chemist, Bacteriologist, Assistant Bacteriologist, and Assistant Chemist, respectively.

³ The authors extend thanks to H. L. Crane, Horticultural Crops Research branch, for his suggestions in formulating the nutrient solutions for experiment 2 and in presenting the data. The cooperation of the late E. M. Roller, Soil and Water Conservation Research Branch, in making the nitrogen determinations is recognized. Credit is given to E. James Koch. Biometrical services, Agricultural Research Service, for outlining the procedures for the statistical evaluations.

Received for publication September 13, 1955.