Keywords: Lentil, chickpea, rhizobium inoculation, phosphorus level

A field experiment was conducted in the lowland sandy loam soil of Agronomy Farm of the Institute of Agriculture and Animal Science, Rampur, Chitwan,

Nepal

during winter season of 2002/03.. The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design (2 factorial) with eight treatment combinations replicated thrice. These combinations were tested in two legumes (lentil and chickpea). The treatment comprised of two levels of inoculation (R₀ without Rhizobium and R₁ with Rhizobium) along with four levels of phosphorus (0, 30, 60 and 90 kg P₂O₅/ha). In lentil significantly higher (1016 kg/ha) grain yield was recorded under Rhizobium inoculation over uninoculation (871 kg/ha). Chickpea produced 958 kg/ha yield with Rhizobium inoculation and 835 kg/ha without inoculation. In lentil, the maximum grain yield was obtained with 60 kg P₂O₅ /ha (1038 kg/ha) which was at par with 90 kg P₂O₅/ha (1038 kg/ha). However, in chickpea higher grain yield was obtained with 90 kg P₂O₅ /ha (954 kg/ha) and was statistically at par with 60 kg P₂O₅ /ha (916 kg/ha). Gross return, net return and B: C ratio were increased by 17, 40.3 and 40 %, respectively in lentil and by 15.3, 32.3 and 29.5%, respectively over uninoculated control in chickpea. Though the B: C ratio at 30 and 60 kg P₂O₅/ha was lower than at 0 kg P₂O₅/ha, for sustaining the fertility and productivity of soil, application of at least 30 kg P₂O₅/ha along with Rhizobium inoculation might be used for both lentil and chickpea.