Effect of bio‐fertilization and edapho‐climatic conditions on chickpea nodulation, grain yields, and seed protein in a Mediterranean context: a meta‐analysis approach

Chickpeas (Cicer arietinum L.) serve as a protein-rich staple, particularly in Mediterranean countries, where they are often grown in marginal and water-stressed areas. This meta-analysis synthesized evidence from peer-reviewed publications across Mediterranean countries to assess how chickpea rhizobial inoculation influences chickpea performance under different edapho-climatic conditions. The results demonstrated that the highest impact of rhizobial inoculation on nodule number (NN) occurred under semi-arid conditions (+34.98 nodules). Under sub-humid conditions, the most substantial gains of inoculation were observed in nodule dry weight (NDW) (+135.44 mg plant^-1), shoot dry weight (SDW) (+7.67 g plant^-1), and grain yield (GY) (+906 kg ha^-1). Regarding soil types, fine-textured soils showed the most significant inoculation benefits for NN (+36.54 nodules) and NDW (+212.63 mg plant^-1), whereas medium-textured soils showed the highest increase in SDW (+9.21 g plant^-1) and GY (+1517.02 kg ha^-1). Additionally, alkaline-pH soils demonstrated the highest inoculation impact on SDW (+7.65 g plant^-1) and GY (+1054.78 kg ha^-1). While soil salinity had a significant beneficial effect only on SDW in no-saline soils (+4.36 g plant^-1), soil phosphorus (P₂O₅) showed a positive impact on both SDW (+7.59 g plant^-1) and GY (+1527.6 kg ha^-1). For seed protein content (SP), rhizobial inoculation showed no significant effect. However, co-inoculation of Mesorhizobium sp. and Enterobacter sp. consortium showed a promising improvement in NN, GY, and SP. Rhizobial inoculation showed a promising effect on Mediterranean chickpea performance. However, to address edapho-climatic challenges while ensuring potential contribution to soil health and food security, further research on tailored and adapted inoculants is mandatory. © 2026 The Author(s). Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.