INFLUENCE OF PHOSPHORUS SOLUBILIZING BACTERIA, FARMYARD MANURE AND IRON FERTILIZER SOURCSES ON PHOSPHORUS AVAILABILITY AND ITS REFLECTION ON WHEAT PRODUCTIVITY

Abstract

A field experiment was carried out for two winter seasons 2003/2004 and 2004/2005 in sandy soil under the inoculation with solubilizing bacteria (Bacillus.megatherium). Spilt-split plot design was used where two phosphorus sources (rock phosphate, RP, and super phosphorus, SP), two P fertilizer rates (75 kg P20S fed-1 and 150 kg P20S fed) and two rates of farmyard manure, FYM, (10m3 fed- 1 and 15m3 fed). All plot of experiments were foliar treated with either FeS04 or Fe- EDTA . . At flowering stage, results showed that photosynthetic pigment (chlorophyll a (Chi a), chlorophyll b (Chi b) and carotene ,Car) contents of wheat leaves were superior when 15m3 fed-1 FYM was applied as compared to 10m3 FYM . Also inoculation with B.megatherium positively affected Chi a,Chl b and Car as compared to non inoculation. The highest values of chlorophyll content were recorded when applied 15 m3 fed-1 FYM , inoculation by B.megatherium in combination with SP and sprayed Fe-EDTA. Moreover, dry weight of both shoots and roots, at flowering stage, increased due to 15m3 fed-1 FYM combined with hi~h rate of SP application as well as RP was superior when combined with 10m3 fed - FYM and inoculation with B.megatherium. In addition, data indicated that FYM applied at a rate 15m3 fed-1 increased N,P & K uptake by both shoots and roots, at flowering stage, of wheat plant as compared to low rate 10m3 fed-1 FYM. Similar trend was obtained when soil inoculated with B.megatherium as compared to no inoculation. Results also revealed that low rate of rock phosphate (RPA) was more effective for N,P&K uptake as compared to the other RB rate (RBP) , opposite trend was recorded for high rate of super phosphate (SPP), which, increased N,P&K uptake by both shoots and roots. Generally, foliar application of FeS04 was superior for both N,P&K uptake by shoots and roots. At harvest stage, wheat took the same direction for N,P&K uptake by yield components( straw and grains), in spite of Fe-EDTA was superior as compared to FeS04. On the other hand, mean values of wheat yield components increased significantly due to the application of high rate of FYM ; these increases were 14.0%,11.4% and 3.47% for straw, grains and weight of 1000 grains, respectively. High rates of both RP and SP were more affective as compared to lower rate under spraying with Fe-EDT A. The interaction between tested treatments showed that the highest grain yield of wheat was accompanied with 15 m3 fed-1 FYM application, inoculation with B.megatherium combined with SPB and foliar application with Fe- EDTA.