Description
The Mircen Lab under the N2Africa project has established a standard of 109 rhizobia per gram of inoculant and. Biofix, Filtermud and vermiculite were assess for their potential as substrates to carry viable Rhizobium phaseoli CIAT899 and bradyrhizobia japonicum USDA110 commercial strains for a period of 165days of incubation in additional peat, coir and biochar in the second experiment were also monitor for viable population the same strains for 45 days of incubation. The quality of these rhizobial populations was tested on CR YMA at the curing stage (14 days after injection), during their shelf live (consecutively after 30 days each), and at their expiry date. Each measurement was replicated five times using the Mile and mistra drop plate method. Viable population of rhizobia differed significantly the carriers over time (P0.001) and rhizobia strain(P0.05) In the first experiment Rhizobium phaseoli CIAT899 in filtermud carrier prepare at Mircen lab had a long shelf live up to 135 days by maintaining the standard 2.30 x109 cells/g of carrier, while in biofix from MEA limited Rhizobium phaseoli CIAT899 and bradyrhizobia japonicum USDA110 reach 2.70 and 1.86 x 109 cells/g at 105 days of incubation before it decreases below the standard. Finally Rhizobium phaseoli CIAT899 in vermiculite after curing stage give 1.77 before it dropped as well bellow the standard. In the second experiment was bradyrhizobia japonicum USDA110 in peat carrier which performed after 45 days it was greater to the standard 3.48x109 cells/g, coir based carrier the standard was maintained up to curing stage 2.40 and 1,24x109 cells/g respectively for Rhizobium phaseoli CIAT899 and bradyrhizobia japonicum USDA110. Finally Rhizobium phaseoli CIAT899 in biochar after curing had 1.62 x109cells/g.