Rhizobial strains have contributed to enhance N2 fixation, soil fertility and yield of legume crops when they are sufficient in the soil under favorable environment. A field experiment was implemented to evaluate yield response and economic profitability of fababean through inoculation of strain together with lime. The experiment consists four strains [(BF-17, BF-04, BF-1018 and BF-1035), control, 21kgha-1 urea and 150 kgha-1 urea under limed and unlimed condition). The treatments were arranged in split plot design in three replication. The collected data was analyzed using SAS software 9.3 versions. Based on the results, number of pods plant-1, number of seeds pod-1, seed yield and above ground biomass yield of fababean was significantly (P<0.01) affected due to integrated use of inoculants with lime. The result revealed that inoculation of BF-04 strain together with lime produced the highest number of pods plant-1 (14.33), number of seeds pod-1 (2.44) and seed yield (3623.6kg ha-1) where the seed yield obtained due inoculation of BF-17 strain with lime was stastically comparable with application of BF-04 strain + lime (3612.5kg ha-1). In case of biomass yield, similar to seed yield combined use strains with lime recorded the highest value but among each strain no significant variation was observed. This result clearly suggested that proper inoculation of effective strains along with lime improved soil fertility and faba bean yield. Economically, the highest NB was obtained from plots treated with strain+lime compared with other treatments. Reducing soil fertility constrains through the integrated use of strain and lime could be a possible option to increase yield. However, to draw a conclusive recommendation, the study has to be repeated over several seasons as lime and strains have long-term effects.

Keywords: Economic analysis, strain, seed yield, soil acidity.