Quality of Enterolobium contortisiliquum (Vell.) Morong. seedlings in function of inoculation and natural nodulation in soils from southwest of Piauí, Brazil

Abstract

Biological nitrogen fixation is an important alternative to provide nitrogen (N) to legumes. This study aimed to evaluate the quality of Enterolobium contortisiliquum (Vell.) Morong seedlings depending on the inoculation and natural nodulation in soils from southwest of Piauí, Brazil. The experimental design was completely randomized with five replications and treatments arranged in a (5 x 4) factorial design, consisting of five soil classes and four N treatments (a-inoculation with strain BR 4406, b- with application of mineral N, c- with mineral N and inoculation with BR 4406, d- without mineral N or inoculation). Seventy five days after sowing number and fresh weight of nodules, N2 fixation efficiency, nitrogen concentration in shoot and morphological parameters of seedlings were evaluated. The seedlings of E. contortisiliquum presented natural nodulation only when grown on Organosol and Fluvic Neossol. The inoculant strain BR 4406 showed a very low adaptation to the soils from Southwest of Piauí. Seedlings grown in Quartzarenic Neosol, Organosol and Fluvic Neossol have better quality compared to those grown in Oxisol and Litolic Neosol.