Abstract
A field experiment was conducted to study the growth and yield responses of lentil (Lens esculentus L) cultivars (cv. Yerli Kirmizi and cv. Sazak-91) to different rates of rhizobial inoculant (Uninoculated control, 10 g, 15 g and 20 g peat inoculants kg-1 seeds) during the winter seasons of 2003-04 and 2004-05 in Van, Turkey. Results showed that higher values of root nodulation, number of pods plant-1, number of seeds plant-1, seed yield, biomass yield and number of branches plant-1 were obtained from cv. Yerli Kirmizi whereas plant height, 1000 seed weight, root and shoot dry weight plant-1 were higher in cv. Sazak 91. Application of 20 g peat kg-1 seeds significantly increased all growth and yield attributes, (seed yield, biomass yield and number of nodules) when compared with the 15 g and 10 g peat inoculants kg-1 seeds and the control treatments. Inoculation with 20 g inoculants peat kg-1 seeds during 2003–04 and 2004–05 increased number of nodules, by 67.3 and 40.6% respectively and seed yield, by 24.5 and 20.0% respectively over uninoculated control. Uninoculated control gave the lowest values.
