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Plant Science Today (PST)

Research Articles

Vol. 13 No. sp5 (2026): Recent Advances in Agriculture

Impact of nano-urea application on Rhizobium–black gram symbiosis

DOI
https://doi.org/10.14719/pst.16370
Submitted
27 June 2026
Published
21-09-2026

Abstract

The increasing demand for nitrogen (N) in legume cultivation, combined with growing environmental concerns over conventional urea usage, necessitates the exploration of innovative nitrogen delivery mechanisms. This study was carried out to investigate the impact of nano-urea on the symbiotic relationship between Rhizobium sp. and black gram (Vigna mungo L. Hepper). Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy was used to compare nano-urea with conventional urea. A pot trial was also conducted to evaluate plant growth and yield. Molecular identification of the bacterial isolate by 16S rRNA gene sequencing and construction of a phylogenetic tree provided further insights by confirming its taxonomy. Plant growth data from the pot trial demonstrated that nano-urea showed the highest yield and competitive leaf count surpassing conventional urea and the control. The combined application of nano-urea (1.5 mL/L) and Rhizobium inoculation produced the highest yield, with a 213 % increase in pod number and a 470.1 % increase in pod weight over the absolute control along with competitive leaf count and plant height surpassing conventional urea and the control. The combined application of nano-urea and Rhizobium significantly improved the overall growth, nodulation and leaf nitrogen content of the plant compared with the control, with leaf nitrogen reaching 3.75 % in the best-performing treatment. These findings collectively suggest that foliar nano-urea application at recommended doses is compatible with Rhizobium–black gram symbiosis and that nano-urea application optimises nitrogen delivery, while preserving biological nitrogen fixation.

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