EFFECT OF COMPOST, COMPOST TEA AND BIO-FERTILIZER APPLICATION ON SOME CHEMICAL SOIL PROPERTIES AND RICE PRODUCTIVITY UNDER SALINE SOIL CONDITION.

Abstract

Two field experiments were conducted at El-Rowad village , Sahl- El-Hossinia , El-Sharkia Governorate, Egypt, during summer2007 and 2008 seasons to study the effect of bio-fertilizer, compost and compost tea or in combination with nitrogen levels (25 , 50 and 100 kg N/fed). The compost is prepared from (rice straw, Maize and faba bean); Compost tea is prepared as a water extract of plant soluble nutrients, while the bio-fertilizer was a strain of Azospirillum braselence NO 40 (salt tolerant PGPR strain). The compost was applied before rice planting, and bio-fertilizer was applied seed coating while compost tea was sprayed after 25- 50- and 75days from rice planting. The obtained results could be summarized as follows: Application of compost, compost tea and bio-fertilizer combined with different levels of nitrogen mineral fertilizer led to increase significantly yield, weight of straw or grain (g) /plant, weight of 1000= grains (g) and yield index. The macronutrients N, P and K contents in rice straw and grains increased significantly with the application of compost, compost tea and bio-fertilizer in combination with different levels of N- mineral fertilizer, especially with the high levels as compared with N- mineral fertilizer levels applied alone. The combination of compost and /or compost tea and bio-fertilizer in addition to N- mineral levels enhanced the micronutrients (Fe, Mn, and Zn and Cu mg/kg) concentrations in rice straw and grains in both seasons. The effect of bio-fertilizer and other organic materials were due to lowering soil pH. Meanwhile, EC of the studied saline soil decreased due to the leaching of salts as a result of improving soil physical conditions. The amount of all soil available nutrients N, P and K (mg/kg soil) increased in the soil. Therefore Available Micronutrients Fe, Mn, Zn and Cu (mg/kg soil) also increased when compost, compost tea and bio-fertilizer were combined with different mineral N- fertilizer levels.