Assessing Liquid Inoculant Formulation of Biofertilizer (Sinorhizobium meliloti) on Growth, Yield, and Nitrogen Uptake of Lucerne (Medicago sativa)

Lucerne is regarded as the best legume crop for forage to be cultivated in South Africa. It commonly used produce good quality hay. also plays an important role soil conservation, regeneration, and rotation systems it supplies substantial amounts of nitrogen succeeding crops through symbiotic N2 fixation, which makes preferable choice intensive production systems. Fertilizer liquid inoculant formulations has demonstrated contribute growth yield increase leguminous crops. Therefore, aim this paper was determine effects Sinorhizobium meliloti formulation inoculation on growth, yield, content lucerne. The strain RF14 (Sinorhizobium meliloti) collected from Agricultural Research Council at Roodeplaat (Plant Health Protection located (East), Pretoria (South Africa). contained 6.5 × 109 viable cells mL−1. According Kooen–Gieger climatic classification, experiments were conducted two different zones. first site Bronkhorspruit (Blesbokfontein farm) Gauteng province second Hartbeesfontein (Rietfontein Farm) Northwest province. results showed that lucerne with significantly increased nodule number, size, both bioclimatic compared negative control. accumulation all inoculated treatments finding research provides information impact rhizobium microbial application improvement fertility formation. In addition, seed vigor translated overall plants.