Effect of boron on the yield of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) under center pivot sprinkler irrigation system in the West Desert of Iraq

Two field experiments were conducted under field conditions under a sprinkler irrigation system in the West desert of Iraq, Al-Qaim Area, 400 km west of Baghdad. Underground water was used as a source of irrigation water to study the effect of different rates and different times of boron application on wheat cv. Ibaa99. RCBD with five treatments and three replications was used in this study. Boron dose was 2 kg/ha for soil application method and 0.30 kg/ha for foliar application method. Boron treatments were: 0 (control T1), 2 kg B ha-1 at sowing time (T2), 2 kg B ha-1 at 30 days after sowing (T3), 0.3 kg B ha-1 foliar application at 60 days after sowing (T4) and 0.3 kg B ha-1 for foliar application at 90 days after sowing (T5). Most boron treatments gave a significant increase as compared with control in morphological, physiological and productivity characters of wheat crop. The results revealed that B application treatment at 30 days after sowing time increased significantly the 1000 grains weight (17.6%) while T5 treatment increased significantly the chlorophyll content (12.41%) over control. In most cases, B application treatment at 60 days after sowing time showed the best results and increased significantly the plant height (5.24%), leaf area (9.18%), number of grains spike-1 (30.9 %), number of spike m-2 (18.8%), spike length (65.6%), Grains yield (34.6%) over control. There was evidence that the best dose of boron was 0.3 kg B ha-1 and the best time of B application to the foliage was at 60 days after sowing

Effect of Pseudomonas aureofaiciens & Pseudomonas putida on growth of sorghum biocolor and protect them from infection of Rhizoctonia solani fungi

The activity of two bacteria isolates Pseudomonas aureofaiciens & Pseudomonas putida in improving some specific and quantitative characters of Sorghum biocolor and protecting the plant from infection with the fungus Rhizoctonia solani was studied. Complete Randomized Design with three replicates was used in this experiment. The results showed significant higher values of treatments with bacterial isolates in growth percentage, leaf area, height of plant, chlorophyll content and dry weight of shoots. The results also showed significant differences in levels of nitrogen and phosphorus in shoot weight of plant for all treatments which treated with bacterial vaccines. The isolates also improved the studied characters of plants cultured in soil contaminated with Rhizoctonia solani and significantly inhibited the effect of plant pathogen. We concluded from this research it can use bacterial vaccines as new biological technique in improving Agricultural production as Biofertilizers and Biocontrol to inhibit fungi growth on crops