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There is an increasing number of tropical legumes presently grown under temperate conditions with varying amounts of success, This growth chamber study examines the germination, modulation and N2 fixation of two cowpea and one pigeonpea genotypes at two temperature regimes, 15/10° C and 20/10° C, day/night. Prior to planting, surface sterilized seeds were inoculated by soaking in yeast mannitol broth containing approximately 2 × 106 cells ml-1 Bradyrhizobium (USDA 3384). Uninoculated control seeds were soaked in sterile water before planting. Air temperature of 15/10°C, day/night delayed seed germination, nodule initiation, and seedling development. Inoculated cowpea seeds planted at the 20/10° C regime attained 50% germination within 9 days, while inoculated pigeonpea took 13 days under similar regime. Bradyrhizobium persistence was not significantly affected by low temperature. The results indicate that nodule development for both crops were inhibited chiefly by a lack of developing root hairs at low soil temperature,