Rhizobia inoculation can increase soybean yield, but its performance is influenced by among others soybean genotype, rhizobia strains, environment, and crop management. The objective of the study was to assess soybean response to rhizobia inoculation when grown in soils amended with urea or vermicompost to improve nitrogen levels. Two greenhouse experiments and one field trial at two sites were carried out. The first greenhouse experiment included soils from sixty locations, sampled from smallholder farms in Western Kenya. The second greenhouse experiment consisted of one soil selected among soils used in the first experiment where inoculation response was poor. The soil was amended with vermicompost or urea. In the two greenhouse experiments, Legumefix (inoculant) + Sympal (legume fertilizer blend) were used as a standard package. Results from the second greenhouse experiment were then validated in the field. Analysis of variance was done using SAS statistical software and mean separation was done using standard error of the difference for shoot biomass, grain yield nodulation, nodule effectiveness and nutrient uptake. In the first greenhouse trial, soybean response to inoculation was significantly affected by soil fertility based on nodule fresh weight and shoot biomass. Soils with low nitrogen had low to no response to inoculation. After amendment, nodule fresh weight, nodule effectiveness, nodule occupancy, and shoot dry biomass were greater in the treatment amended with vermicompost than those amended with urea (Legumefix + Sympal + vermicompost and Legumefix + Sympal + urea) respectively. Under field conditions, trends were similar to the second experiment for nodulation, nodule occupancy and nitrogen uptake resulting in significantly greater grain yields (475, 709, 856, 880, 966 kg ha⁻¹) after application of vermicompost at 0, 37, 74, 111, and 148 kg N ha⁻¹ respectively. It was concluded that soybean nodulation and biological nitrogen fixation in low fertility soils would not be suppressed by organic amendments like vermicompost up to 148 kg N ha⁻¹.

接种根瘤菌可以提高大豆产量，但其表现受大豆基因型，根瘤菌菌株，环境和作物管理等因素影响。该研究的目的是评估大豆在尿素或ver堆肥改良的土壤中生长以提高氮含量时对根瘤菌接种的反应。在两个地点进行了两个温室试验和一个田间试验。第一个温室试验包括从肯尼亚西部小农户农场采样的60个地点的土壤。第二个温室实验包括在第一个实验中使用的土壤中选择的一种土壤，其中接种反应较差。用ver粉或尿素改良土壤。在两个温室试验中，将Legumefix（接种剂）+ Sympal（豆类肥料混合物）用作标准包装。然后在田间验证了第二个温室实验的结果。方差分析使用SAS统计软件进行，均值分离使用枝条生物量，结节产量结节，结节有效性和养分吸收差异的标准误差进行。在第一个温室试验中，基于结节鲜重和苗生物量，土壤肥力显着影响大豆对接种的反应。低氮土壤对接种的反应低至无反应。改良后，用ver杂改良剂处理的根瘤鲜重，根瘤有效性，根瘤占有率和茎干生物量均比用尿素（Legumefix + Sympal + vermicompost和Legumefix + Sympal +尿素）修正的更大。在野外条件下^-1）分别在0、37、74、111和148 kg N ha ^-1施用ver粉。得出的结论是，低肥力土壤中的大豆结瘤和生物固氮作用不会受到有机改良剂（如高达148 kg N ha ^-1的ver虫）的抑制。