Grain Yield of Maize Hybrids in Response to Inoculation with Azospirillum sp. under Nitrogen Limiting Conditions in Huaura, Peru

Elin Teodoro-Cerna,Sergio Eduardo Contreras-Liza,Eroncio Mendoza-Nieto

doi:10.5539/sar.v10n1p1

Abstract

This experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of Azospirillum sp. inoculated with different nitrogen levels (0, 60, 90, 180 kg ha-1) on grain yield, yield components and agronomic traits of hybrid maize at the arid conditions of the central coast of Peru. The experimental design used was randomized complete block design with four replications per treatment, under the arrangement of subdivided plots, in which three corn hybrids were assigned to complete plots and four inoculant-N fertilization treatments, to the subplots. The results showed that for dose fertilization of 180 kg ha-1 of nitrogen (control), the grain yield of hybrid corn was similar as compared to 60-120 kg ha-1 N fertilization inoculated at 15 and 45 days with a native strain of Azospirillum sp., suggesting that the response in grain yield for hybrid corn can be balanced with nitrogen fertilization and inoculation with Azospirillum sp. 1x108 CFU mL-1 in conditions of arid soils, with possible impact on the use of this microorganism in the maize production system

Highlights

The coast of Peru is a low-elevation plain adjacent to the Pacific Ocean and influenced by the cold Humboldt Current
The results showed that for dose fertilization of 180 kg ha-1 of nitrogen, the grain yield of hybrid corn was similar as compared to 60-120 kg ha-1 N fertilization inoculated at 15 and 45 days with a native strain of Azospirillum sp., suggesting that the response in grain yield for hybrid corn can be balanced with nitrogen fertilization and inoculation with Azospirillum sp. 1x108 CFU mL-1 in conditions of arid soils, with possible impact on the use of this microorganism in the maize production system
The results obtained seem to agree with other researchers (Zambonin et al 2019) regarding the little interaction of the inoculant effect of Azospirillum sp. with maize genotypes or hybrids, there could be certain interaction effects between both factors for some physiological attributes (Silva et al 2020), evidence shown by Ferrerira et al (2020), who found that maize hybrids showed greater expressivity in yield components in the presence of A. brasilense applied in seed treatment

Summary

Introduction

The coast of Peru is a low-elevation plain adjacent to the Pacific Ocean and influenced by the cold Humboldt Current. It is a hyper-arid biome mostly devoid of vegetation, with the exception of the fog-dependent plant communities ('Lomas') and groundwater (Polk et al 2020). The average grain yield in corn is 10 t ha-1 in the department of Lima (Sistema Integrado de Estadística Agraria, 2020); production does not manage to supply national demand (Cabrera-Chavez, 2020). With the exception of water resources, nitrogen is the most important limiting factor in the productivity of this crop (Franca et al, 2011). Fertilizers support approximately 40% of the current world population and consume about 2% of the world's available energy supply (Reis et al, 2020)

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