Abstract:The influence of rhizobia inoculation on nodulation, growth, photosynthesis, nutrient quality and absorption by Dolichos lablab L. and as well as soil nutrients were conducted in four typical and representative soils which are widely distributed in Chongqing, two grey brown purple soils with pH 4.06 and 6.14, a red brown purple soil with pH 7.50 and a yellow limestone soil with pH 6.45. The results show that the growth, yield and quality of D. lablab in the two grey brown purple soils are better than those in the yellow limestone soil and alkaline red brown purple soil. Rhizobia inoculation could form nodules in the slight acidic grey brown purple soil (pH 6.14) and yellow limestone soil (pH 6.45), could form fewer nodules or no nodules in the acidic grey brown purple soil (pH 4.09) and alkaline red brown purple soil (pH 7.50), which indicates that higher or lower pH values are unfavorable for nodule formation. Nodule formation could improve D. lablab’ s nitrogen and phosphorus nutrition, net photosynthetic rate, promote the growth, and increase biomass and quality to some extent. Positive correlations are obtained between biomass, nitrogen and phosphorus absorptions, and the soil nitrogen and phosphorus and nodule weight after harvesting, indicating the nodule weight might reflect the nodule activity. The nodule number in the slight acidic grey brown purple soil is about 53.32% lower than that in the yellow limestone soil, while the size is larger and the nodule weight is 1.66 time to that in the yellow limestone soil, showing the better inoculation. The selections of slight acidic and acidic grey brown purple soils and rhizobia inoculation could increase the yield and improve the quality of D. lablab in Chongqing.