Cereal Nitrogen Fixation International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics The International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics is a nonprofit scientific educational institute receiving support from donors through the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research. Donors to I C R I S A T include governments and agencies of Australia, Belgium, Canada, Federal Republic of Germany, Finland, France, India, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Nigeria, Norway, People's Republic of China, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States of America, and the following international and private organizations: Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa, Asian Develop- ment Bank, International Development Research Centre, International Fertilizer Development Center, International Fund for Agricultural Development, The European Economic Community, The Ford Foundation, The Leverhulme Trust, The Opec Fund for International Development, The Population Council, The Rockefeller Foundation, The World Bank, and the United Nations Development Pro- gramme. Information and conclusions in this publication do not necessarily reflect the position of the aforementioned governments, agencies, and international and private organizations. Cover: Mucigel-secreting brace roots of sorghum grown at ICRISAT Center during the rainy season. Inset shows an electron micrograph of a nitrogen-fixing bacterium Azospirillum brasilense (x 19 800). Cereal Nitrogen Fixation Proceedings o f the W o r k i n g G r o u p M e e t i n g held a t I C R I S A T Center, I n d i a , 9-12 October 1984 International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics Patancheru, Andhra Pradesh 502 324, India 1986 Correct citation: ICRISAT (International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics). 1986. Cereal nitrogen fixation. Proceedings of the Working Group Meeting, 9-12 Oct 1984, ICRISAT Center, India. Patancheru, A.P. 502324, India: ICRISAT. Workshop Coordinator and Scientific Editor S . P . W a n i The opinions in this publication are those of the authors and not necessarily those of I C R I S A T . The designations employed and the presentation of the material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of I C R I S A T concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city, or area, or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. Where trade names are used this does not constitute endorsement of or discrimination against any product by the Institute. ISBN 92-9066-111-9 Contents F o r e w o r d L . D . S w i n d a l e v i i W e l c o m e A d d r e s s C . R . J a c k s o n 1 I n a u g u r a l A d d r e s s J.S. Kanwar 3 C e r e a l N i t r o g e n F i x a t i o n : P r o b l e m s a n d P o t e n t i a l i t i e s S . P . W a n i 7 C e r e a l N i t r o g e n F i x a t i o n R e s e a r c h u n d e r t h e B N F C o o r d i n a t e d P r o j e c t o f t h e I C A R N . S . S u b b a R a o 23 Associative Biological Nitrogen Fixation Research a t H a r y a n a A g r i c u l t u r a l U n i v e r s i t y B . S . K u n d u , K . R . D a d a r w a l , and P. Tauro 3 1 S t u d i e s o n t h e I n t e r a c t i o n s b e t w e e n Azospirillum a n d P e a r l M i l l e t A . V . R a o a n d B . V e n k a t e s w a r l u 3 7 Response of Pearl Millet to Inoculation with Azospirillwn brasilense at V a r y i n g L e v e l s of N i t r o g e n G.S. Jadhav, A.N. Giri, a n d N . B . P a w a r 4 3 Rhizosphere Ecology and Nitrogen Fixation o f Azospirillum i n P e a r l M i l l e t D . P u r u s h o t h a m a n a n d K . G o v i n d a r a j a n 4 7 R e s p o n s e o f S o r g h u m a n d P e a r l M i l l e t G e n o t y p e s to Azospirillum a n d Azotobacter Inoculations C . P . G h o n s i k a r , R . S . R a u t , and G.B. Rudraksha 53 R e s e a r c h o n C e r e a l N i t r o g e n F i x a t i o n a t I C R I S A T S . P . W a n i 5 5 Y i e l d a n d N i t r o g e n G a i n s o f S o r g h u m a s I n f l u e n c e d by Azospirillum brasilense N . S . S u b b a R a o , K . V . B . R . T i l a k , C . S . S i n g h , a n d P . V . N a i r 6 9 Azotobacter Inoculation: N i t r o g e n E c o n o m y a n d R e s p o n s e o f S o r g h u m C S H 1 S . T . S h e n d e , G . B . R u d r a k s h a , R a j a n i A p t e , a n d R . S . R a u t 7 5 Response of Sorghum Cultivars to Inoculation w i t h Azospirillum D . P u r u s h o t h a m a n a n d G . O b l i s a m i 77 N i t r o g e n T r a n s f o r m a t i o n s by A. brasilense S t r a i n 12S f r o m S o r g h u m R o o t s B e l a S h u k l a a n d B . S . K u n d u 81 E f f e c t of Azotobacter chroococcum a n d Azospirillum brasilense Inoculations and Nitrogen on yields o f S o r g h u m , M a i z e , P e a r l M i l l e t , a n d W h e a t B.K. Konde and P.A. Shinde 85 Root-Associated Nitrogen Fixation in Finger Millet M . N . U p a d h y a y a , S . V . H e g d e , P . V . R a i , a n d S . P . W a n i 93 Heterotrophic Nitrogen Fixation as Influenced b y F e r t i l i z e r s i n R i c e - S o i l S y s t e m s V . R a j a r a m a m o h a n R a o , J . L . N . R a o , a n d T . K . A d h y a 103 E f f e c t o f C e r t a i n O r g a n i c A m e n d m e n t s a n d P o t a s s i u m o n t h e B a c t e r i z a t i o n of R i c e w i t h Azotobacter Chroococcum N . N . P r a s a d 107 Studies on Vesicular Arbuscular Mycorrhiza in Cereals a t I C R I S A T C e n t e r ( a b s t r a c t o n l y ) K . R . K r i s h n a 111 T h e use o f E L I S A ( E n z y m e - L i n k e d I m m u n o s o r b e n t A s s a y ) f o r Q u a l i t y A s s e s s m e n t o f B a c t e r i a l I n o c u l a n t s ( a b s t r a c t o n l y ) P .