EFFECT OF BALANCED MANURING BY MINERAL NPK AND BIO-FERTILIZER ON PEAS PRODUCTIVITY AND PROTEIN CONTENT

Abstract

Two field experiments were carried out during the winter seasons of 2008/09 and 2009/10 at a private farm in Disuq district, Kafr El-Sheikh Governorate to investigate the response of pea plants, cv. Master B, to inoculation with the Rhizobium bacteria, foliar nutrition with free living bacteria (microbin) and rhizobium + N2-fixer free living bacteria compared to uninoculated with balanced monuring by NPK rates. Four levels of inorganic NPK (1-without NPK, 2- 15 kg N + 25 kg P2O5 + native-K, 3- 40 kg N + 30 kg P2O5 + native-K and 4-60kg N + 30 kg P2O5 + native-K fed-1) were application. Soil analysis shower high content of potassium (432 and 419 ppm available K). The results indicated that inoculation of pea seeds with biofertilizer (Rhizobia + free living bacteria), improved most vegetative characters, as well as green pods yield and its components, shelling ratio, seed yield and its components, seed germination percentage, leaf contents of chlorophyll and seed content of protein. Increasing NPK rate up to 40 kg N + 30 kg P2O5 + native-K was accompanied with significant increases in vegetative growth characters, as well as green pods yield and its components, shelling ratio, seed yield and its components, seed germination percentage, leaf contents of chlorophyll and seed content of protein. Rhizobia + free living bacteria biofertilizer combined with NPK rate at 40 kg N + 30 kg P2O5 + native-K appeared to be the most efficient treatment for more vigorous growth, green pods yield and its components, shelling ratio, seed yield and its components and seed germination percentage, as well as chlorophyll content in leaves and protein content in seeds.