INOCULATION OF DIAZOTROPHIC BACTERIA AND NITROGEN FERTILIZATION IN TOPDRESSING IN IRRIGATED CORN

Vanessa Zirondi Longhini,Natalia De Ávila Soares,Marcelo Andreotti,Nídia Raquel Costa,Wésley Carlos Rossini De Souza

doi:10.1590/1983-21252016v29n210rc

Vanessa Zirondi Longhini, Natalia De Ávila Soares + Show 3 more

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ABSTRACT: Corn is a nitrogen-intensive crop, and the use of management practices such as inoculation of the seed with diazotrophic bacteria, which can maximize crop productivity and reduce the need of nitrogen fertilizers, may result in lower production costs. The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of inoculation of corn seed with Azospirillum brasilense and controlled addition of nitrogen to topdressing on the nutrition, production components, and productivity of crop grain. The experimental design was a randomized block design, with four replications in a 2 × 5 factorial scheme. The treatments consisted of inoculation or not of corn seed with A. brasilense (at 100 mL per 25 kg of seed) and five nitrogen (N) levels in topdressing (0, 30, 60, 90, and 120 kg N ha-1 from urea [45% N]) were applied when the corn was in the phenological growth stage V6. Foliar macronutrients, foliar chlorophyll index (FCI), production components, and yield of corn grain were valuated. Inoculation of corn seeds with A. brasilense increased plant height and grain yield. Fertilization in topdressing, with N levels up to 120 kg ha-1, linearly increased the foliar nutrients and productivity of corn cultivated in the spring/summer in the low-altitude Cerrado region of Brazil.

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Cultivated throughout many areas of Brazil and used in different production systems, corn (Zea mays L.) is a cereal of great importance for agribusiness, human consumption, and animal production (CONAB, 2015)
In the inoculation of corn seed and nitrogen fertilization in topdressing for nutrient content, no significant differences were found in the components of production and yield of corn grain between the two analyzed growing seasons (2011/2012 and 2012/2013)
Azospirillum inoculation of corn seed had an effect on the foliar chlorophyll index (FCI) in the growing season 2011/2012, showing higher values than those found in the corn that was not inoculated (Table 2)

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Cultivated throughout many areas of Brazil and used in different production systems, corn (Zea mays L.) is a cereal of great importance for agribusiness, human consumption, and animal production (CONAB, 2015). The corn crop is highly dependent on the use of fertilizers to ensure high yields, which and nitrogen (N) is the most required nutrient (COSTA et al, 2012a). In corn production systems, the need for fertilizers is known as one of the factors that increases the production costs (COSTA et al, 2012b); in addition, its misuse can cause environmental harm. Increased production and productivity of corn resulting from the addition of nitrogen have been described in several studies (GAVA et al, 2010; MELO et al, 2011; COSTA et al, 2012a). Especially in no-tillage systems (NTS) (COSTA et al, 2012a), because this element is part of the chlorophyll molecule and is key in crucial proteins, enzymes, and nucleic acids, which are essential for growth and high grain yield (GROSS et al, 2006)

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