Full Length Research Paper
ABSTRACT
Optimization of land use can be attained by incorporating technologies to crop production, such as the use of diazotrophic bacteria, fertilizers, and pesticides. Seed inoculation with Azospirillum is an alternative that favors the incorporation of green agriculture in regions of conventional farming, such as the Brazilian savannah (Cerrado). However, limited information is available about this bacterium’s contribution to agriculture when other technologies are also incorporated. This study evaluated the performance of maize hybrids inoculated, or not, with Azospirillum brasilense, with or without fungicide applications, and subjected to different nitrogen rates under Cerrado field conditions. Each factor analyzed contributes to the increased maize grain yield. The use of inoculants containing plant growth promoting bacteria is a good option to ensure high yield of maize. Still, nitrogen should not be replaced, neither totally nor partially, by seed inoculation with Azospirillum. Fungicide applications should be done, as required, during maize cycle. Moreover, specific maize breeding programs should consider the affinity between Azospirillum strains and maize hybrids, mainly for regions with nitrogen deficient soils, like Cerrado. Thus, by incorporating additional technologies, maize crop farmers can optimize land use and, consequently, reduce the expansion into new agricultural areas.
Key words: Foliar protection, nitrogen use, plant growth promoting bacteria, sustainability, Zea mays L.
INTRODUCTION
MATERIALS AND METHODS
RESULTS
DISCUSSION
Therefore, inoculation enabled yield increases of maize crops growing under Cerrado conditions, which resulted from the affinity between Azospirillum and hybrids recommended for the region. Thus, inoculation allowed optimization of land use and even small and medium farmers (in low investment production systems) can obtain greater yields with this technology.
Increased production of maize can be attributed to the phytostimulatory effects of inoculation with Azospirillum, due not only to biological nitrogen fixation in the rhizosphere, but also to plant’s greater efficiency in water and nutrient uptake due to greater growth of root system provided by the production of plant growth promoting substances by the bacteria (Döbereiner, 1992; Reis et al., 2000; Cassán et al., 2008). Better nitrogen fertilizer use was observed when maize hybrids were inoculated with Azospirillum. From this result it can be inferred that Azospirillum inoculation enhances nitrogen use, although it does not replace it. Thus, even if part of the maize nitrogen demand is supplied by association with diazotrophic bacteria, reduction of nitrogen fertilizer rates is not recommended. This result, however, contrasts with the one reported by Hungria (2011), who found substantial reduction of nitrogen fertilization in maize plants inoculated with Azospirillum. Applying a nitrogen rate equivalent to half of that recommended for maize in Brazil (100 kg N ha-1), the researcher obtained grain yield of 7.8 t ha-1 (Hungria, 2011). However, it must be stated that such production was achieved only with the strain Ab-V5 (+ 54 kg N ha-1) in a single crop season. Besides the previously mentioned aspects, foliar protection affected maize yield as well. The hybrids obtained greater yield potential, reaching up to 10.2 t ha-1, after fungicide applications. This is certainly related to treated plants health. In treatments without fungicide application, hybrid photosynthetic activity may have been compromised, resulting in lower production. This ratifies the idea that investment in plant nutrition is jeopardized if correct phytosanitary management is not adopted. This statement is consistent with studies about effects of fungicide use to increase plant yield (Köhle et al., 2003).
CONCLUSIONS
CONFLICT OF INTERESTS
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