Fertilizer Management Using Plant Growth-Promoting Rhizobacteria in Rice Fields

• Main Authors: Hashem Aminpanah, Saeed Firouzi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Islamic Azad University 2019-03-01
• Series: International Journal of Agricultural Management and Development
• Subjects: azotobacter chroococcum; azospirillum lipoferum; nitrogen; rice
• Online Access: http://ijamad.iaurasht.ac.ir/article_527195_30da12e211f19657307ecf390f7f6e1d.pdf
• ISSN: 2159-5852; 2159-5860

A field experiment was conducted at Rice Research Station of Tonekabon, Iran, to determine the effect of seed inoculation with plant growth-promotingrhizobacteria on rice grain yield and yield components under different nitrogen (N) rates. The experimental design was a Randomized Complete Block with factorial arrangement and three replicates. Factors included seed inoculation with plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria [control (un-inoculated), seed inoculation with <em>Azospirillum</em> <em>lipoferum</em>, seed inoculation with <em>Azotobacter chroococcum, </em>and seed inoculation with a combination of <em>A.</em> <em>lipoferum</em>and <em>A.</em> <em>chroococcum</em>] and N rates (100%, 75%, and 50% of recommended nitrogen rates, i.e. 100, 75 and 50 kg N ha^-1, respectively). Results showed that the highest grain yield (7875 kg ha^-1) was recorded for plants inoculated with a combination of <em>A.</em> <em>lipoferum</em>and <em>A.</em> <em>chroococcum</em>, while the lowest one was recorded for un-inoculated control plants. Moreover, rice grain yield, panicle number per m², grain number per panicle, and 1000-grain weight increased by 9%, 9%, 18%, and 6%, respectively, as N fertilizer rate increased from 50 to 100 kg ha^-1. The highest grain yield (7875 kg ha^-1) was obtained when N was applied at the rate of 75 kg ha^-1to seeds inoculated with a combination of <em>A.</em> <em>lipoferum</em>and <em>A.</em> <em>chroococcum</em>.