R.S. Tubbs, G.H. Harris, and John P. Beasley Jr. Crop and Soil Sciences, University of Georgia, P.O. Box 748, Tifton, GA 31793
Nodulation is important in forming a healthy peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) plant and maximizing plant nutrition and yields. Peanuts were planted in a field after 25 years continuous corn (Zea mays L.) to compare effects of inoculant treatments (none, Optimize Lift, Vault Liquid, and Vault SP) and their interaction with rates of starter N fertilizer applied at planting (0, 17, 34, and 67 kg N ha-1). A two factor factorial design was used for each combination of the four inoculant and four N rate treatments with four replications at the ABAC farm in Tifton, GA. Nodules and roots were removed from field on July 29 and weighed, dried, and weighed again. There was a significant interaction between inoculants and N rates for fresh nodule weight only. There were no differences among the N rates. However, there were significant differences among inoculants for dry nodule weights and Nodule:Root. For all factors, Optimize Lift (dry nodules = 0.815 g) and Vault Liquid (dry nodules = 0.753) provided superior nodulation to Vault SP (dry nodules = 0.201 g) and non-inoculated peanuts (dry nodules = 0.035 g). In the fresh nodule interaction, the apparent trend was that there were no differences in nodulation regardless of N rate for Vault SP or non-inoculated peanuts, but nodulation was greatly reduced at 67 kg N ha-1 for peanuts inoculated with Optimize Lift or Vault Liquid.