The Effect of Bio-fertilizer and Chemical Fertilizers (Phosphate and Zinc) on Yield and Yield Components of Two Cultivars of Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.)

Introduction: Use of unbalanced chemical fertilizers especially P, having low absorption efficiency and low solubility compounds with soil components, has resulted in the production and use of bio-fertilizers (17, 23 and 29). Bio-fertilizer is a preservative material consisting of one or several specific beneficial micro-organisms or their metabolic products used to supply plant nutrients and development of root systems (29). There are a lot of micro-organisms in soil capabling help to plant nutrition and uptake of nutrient elements in different ways that can be mentioned by the dual symbiotic relation between micro-organism and plant. Mycorrhizal fungus and plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) such as Azotobacter and Pseudomonas are able to increase uptake of nutrient elements particularly when they are applied with others and hence they increase the yield of different crops (12, 14; 24 and 30). P solubilizing fungus and bacteria facilitate uptake of slowly diffusing nutrient ions such as P, Zn and Cu and increase their availabilities usually by increasing volume of soil exploited by plants, spreading external mycelium, secreting organic acids, production of dehydrogenase and phosphates enzymes and reducing rhizosphere acidity (9, 15, 19, 23 and 26). The main beneficial use of micro-organism is increasing of host plant growth. It can be done with increase of nutrient elements uptake. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of P and Zn bio-fertilizers on yield, yield components and shoot nutrient elements in two cultivars of bean for the first time in the Chaharmahal-va- Bakhtiari province. Material and Methods: This field experiment was carried out as a factorial in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications. The treatments of this research consisted of two cultivars of Chiti bean (Talash and Sadri), four levels of P (P0: Control, P1: Chemical fertilizer on the basis of soil test, P2: 50 percent of recommended P + bio-fertilizer (P), and P3: bio-fertilizer (P)), three levels of Zn (Zn0: Control, Zn1: 50 kg ha-1 Zinc sulphate, and Zn3: bio-fertilizer (Zn)). Bio-fertilizer (P) treatment consisted of mycorrhizal and five strains of Azotobacter chroococcum. Bio-fertilizer (Zn) treatment consisted of Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain MPFM and Pseudomonas fluorescent strain 187. Grain inoculation (5%) was done in shadow and after drying, inoculated grains were immediately cultivated. Two g of mycorrhizal fungus was applied at the base of the grain hole just prior to sowing. Chemical fertilizers were applied from TSP at a rate of 100 and 50 kg ha-1 in P1 and P2 respectively, 50 kg ha-1 ZnSO4.7H2O in Zn1 and 50 kg ha-1 urea as a starter before planting. The size of each plot was 3 × 4 meters. Statistical analysis was done with SAS) statistical software. Duncan’s multiple range test was used to separate means. Results and Discussion: The results revealed that there were significant differences between the two cultivars on seed yield, number of seeds per pod, 100 seed weight and concentrations of nitrogen (N), potassium (K), and Zn, but there was no significant difference between the other parameters. P treatment showed a significant effect on the examined parameters except the number of seeds per pod. The highest content of yield (3446 kg ha-1) was observed in P2 treatment (18.5% seed yield increase). Zinc treatment also had a significant effect on the parameters being studied except the number of seed per pod and manganese (Mn) concentration. The maximum seed yield (3339 kg ha-1) was monitored in Zn1 and Zn2 treatments. The effect of interactions between P and Zn was significant on the number of pods per shrub, 100 seed weight and K concentration, but it was not significant on the other parameters. However the highest content of seed yield (3520 kg ha-1) was obtained from P2Zn1 (32.5% seed yield increase) treatment. Our results were similar to findings of other researchers (1, 3, 12, 15, 17, 26 and 30). They reported that dual inoculation increases plant productivity. In this study, phosphate and Zn bio-fertilizers caused an increase in yield, yield component and shoot nutrient by increasing nutrient uptake, photosynthesis, growth hormones and creating favorable growth conditions. Also results showed that the consume of P fertilizers were decreased (50 percent) with proper integration of chemical and bio-fertilizers. These results correspond with the results of other researchers (17, 22, 23, 24 and 27). Conclusion: In this research proper integration of bio- and chemical fertilizers was shown to increase yield and yield components with increasing and improving P and other nutrients’ uptake in both bean cultivars. The result also indicated that combining bio and chemical phosphate fertilizers increased the efficiency of phosphate fertilizers by 50 percent. Sadri cultivar is a suitable cultivar for Chaharmahal-va- Bakhtiari province and regions with a similar climate. Keywords: Phosphorus, Zinc, Mycorrhizal fungi, Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), Insoluble phosphorus and zinc solubilizer

Effect of different fertilizing and farming systems in annual medic (Medicago scutellata ’Robinson’) on soil organic matter and nutrients status

This experiment was conducted to study the effect of different fertilizing and farming systems in annual medic (Medicago scutellata ‘Robinson’) on soil organic matter and nutrients status. Fertilizing systems consisted of control (no fertilizer), chemical fertilizer, biological fertilizer and integrated fertilizers (different combinations of chemical and biological fertilizing systems). The farming systems included irrigated and dry-farming systems. The experiment was conducted in two experimental sites with diverse climatic and soil conditions in Kermanshah province, Iran, during 2009 growing season. The highest amount of soil organic matter of 1.28 % was observed in integrated fertilizing system of nitrogen-fixing bacteria + phosphorus-solubilizing bacteria. Most of the nitrogen applied through chemical fertilizers was leached out of the plant access, however, application of integrated fertilizer resulted in increasing the concentration of nitrogen in soil because of its slow release and efficient utilization by plants. According to the results of this study it was concluded that the integrated fertilizing system was more successful in dry farming compared to other fertilizing systems.</p

The Effect of Organic, Biologic and Chemical Fertilizers on Quantitative and Qualitative Characteristics of Sweet Basil (Ocimum basilicum L.)

Sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) is one of the most important medicinal plants that its essential oil used in different medicinal industries. In this research, effects of different types of fertilizers were evaluated on quantitative and qualitative characteristics of basil. The research was conducted under field condition in complete randomized block design with three replications. The treatments included vermicompost, livestock manure chemical fertilizer, biofertilizer (Azospirillum/ Azotobacter), combinations of vermicompost and 50% chemical fertilizer, combinations of biofertilizers and 50% chemical fertilizer, manure and control. The highest dry yield in first and second harvest observed in combinations of biofertilizer and 50% chemical fertilizer. Results showed highest essential oil content obtained in chemical fertilizer and combinations of biofertilizer and 50% chemical fertilizer. According to the results, application of chemical fertilizer, biofertilizer and combinations of biofertilizer and 50% chemical fertilizer increased essential oil yield to 41%, 33% and 38%, respectively. Identification of essential oil components showed that content of Eugenol and Methyl chavicol increased with application of nitrogen fertilizers. It is concluded that application of biofertilizers enhanced quantitative and qualitative characteristics in this plant. Generally, it seems that using of biofertilizers could improve basil performance in addition to reduction of environmental pollution

Effect of Pseudomonas Sp. Bacteria on Soil Chemical and Biological Properties, Yield and Its Components of Two Rice Cultivars

To evaluate the effect of plant growth promoting bacteria (PGPB) on soil physical and chemical indices, yield and its components of two rice cultivars, an experiment was arranged in Rice Researches Institute of Guilan Province during 2009. The experiment design consisted of four randomized complete blocks in a factorial arrangement having 16 treatments in every block. In this research, two factors were evaluated: first, two cultivars (Khazar and Hashemi) and second, eight levels of seed inoculation with PGPB (P.fluorescens strain 168, P.fluorescens strain 93, P.fluorescens strain 177, P.fluorescens strain 136, P.fluorescens strain 103, P.fluorescens strain 169, P.fluorescens strain 4 and control (without inoculation)). Investigated characteristics consisted of: soil minerals, no.microorganisms in soil, grain yield, number of seed per panicle, number of seed per plant, 1000-seed weight, biological and economic yield. In this experiment, effect of cultivar and bacteria were significant in the most of studied characteristics, but effect of cultivar*bacteria (except yield components) wasn’t significant. The results of experiment showed that inoculation with bacterial strains had a stimulating effect on growth and development of rice cultivars. In this experiment, Khazar had positive effect on the most of studied characteristics in compared with Hashemi. Between bacterial different strains, seed inoculation with 168, 177 and 93 strains in compared with other strains increased evaluated characteristics significantly. Seed inoculation with PGPB improved studied characteristics and microorganisms in soil, too

Effect of Application of Biofertilizers and Phosphorus Fertilizers on Qualitative and Quantitative Traits of Spring Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

In order to study the effects of biofertilizer and phosphate fertilizer on yield and yield components of spring wheat a factorial experiment based on randomized completed blocks design with replications was conducted at the Mohsenabad, Mehran Research station in Ilam, Iran during 2009-2010. Experimental factors consisted of phosphorus chemical fertilizers at four levels(0, 90, 135 and 180 kg ha-1) and bio-fertilizer at four levels (non-inoculation, inoculating with Azotobacter chroococcum, Pseudomonas Putida and Azotobacter plus Pseudomonas). Results of analysis variance showed that using chemical fertilizer significantly effected grain yield, harvest index, biological yield, plant height and protein content. The highest grain and biological yields were produced by applying180 kg ha-1, while its effects on other traits were not significantly different from that of 135 kg ha-1. Biological fertilizers, on the other hand increased grain yield, harvest index, biological yield, plant height and protein content as compared to non inoculation treatment. The highest grain yield, harvest index, biological yield, plant height and protein content obtained from application of Azotobacter plus Pseudomonas. Grain yield, harvest index, biological, plant height were affected by interaction effects of chemical fertilizer and biological fertilizers. The highest and lowest grain yield belonged to the application of 180 kg ha-1 of chemical fertilizer and Azotobacter plus Pseudomonas and non- chemical fertilizer and non-inoculation, respectively, but the difference between 135 and 180 kg.ha-1 was not statistically different. Thus, it is cheaper to recommend use of 135 kg ha-1 of chemical fertilizer and Azotobacter plus Pseudomonas to get acceptable grain and biological yields

Biocontrol of Pseudomonas savastanoi, causative agent of olive knot disease: antagonistic potential of non-pathogenic rhizosphere isolates of fluorescent Pseudomonas

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