International Journal of Plant Production
Volume:8 Issue: 2, Apr 2014

The present study assessed the effect of seed inoculation with single or multiple plant growth-promoting rhizobacterial (PGPR) strains on yield in spring wheat (Triticum aestivum spp. vulgare var. Kırık) and barley (Hordeum vulgare cv. Tokak) plants in both greenhouse and field conditions during the years 2007 and 2008. The treatments of wheat and barley plants during the first year included: (1) Control (no inoculation and no fertilizer), (2) Bacillus OSU-142 (B.OSU-142), (3) Bacillus megaterium M3 (B. megaterium M3), (4) Azospirillum brasilense Sp.245 (A. brasilense Sp.245), (5) Mixed 1 (B.OSU-142 + Bacillus M3 + Azospirillum AB-245), (6) Bacillus megaterium RC07 (B. megaterium RC07), (7) Paenibacillus polymyxa RC05, (8) Bacillus licheniformis RC08, (9) mineral nitrogen N1 (80 kg N ha-1) and (10) N2 (40 kg N ha-1 in the form of urea). In the second year treatments were: (1) Raoutella terrigena (R. Terrigena), (2) Burkholderia cepacia FS Tur (B. cepacia FS Tur), (3) B. OSU-142 ARM, (4) B. M3 ARM, (5) A. sp.245 ARM, (6) P. polymyxa RC14, (7) B. megaterium RC10, (8) Mixed 2 (Bacillus OSU-142+ Bacillus M3+ Azospirillum brasilense sp.245 + 40 kg N ha) in addition to the first year treatments. Greenhouse and the two years of field trials at two sites showed that seed inoculation with bacterial strains significantly affected yield, yield components and quality parameters both in spring wheat and barley. In greenhouse trials, single inoculations of seeds with PGPRs gave root and shoot weight increases by 11.0-16.5% and 14.4-30.4% in wheat and by 10.3-18.8% and 11.9-21.5% in barley. Combinations of three bacteria increased root and shoots weight by 18.3-31.5% in wheat and by 21.4-23.8 in barley and bacterial inoculations also increased grain yield by 4.3-18.5% in wheat and 8.3-19.1% in barley, respectively. In field conditions wheat grain yields were increased by 25.6-40.4%, 17.4-25.2% and 31.4% while barley seed yield were increased by 16.2-33.7%, 4.2-14.4 and 16.8% with N fertilizer, single and combinations of PGPR bacteria inoculations compared to control. Plant-growth responses were variable and depended on the inoculants strain, plant species and growth parameters evaluated. In conclusion, seed inoculations with bacteria especially B. OSU-142, A. brasilense sp.245 and combinations of bacteria may satisfy nitrogen requirements of wheat and barley under green house and field conditions even in lowland and upland areas. The present results indicate that the selected bacterial isolates and multiple combinations did promote the growth and quality of wheat and barley in ways that could be harnessed to practical benefit for the farmer and consistent with sustainable and/or organic agricultural practices in Turkey.

Water, salinity and nitrogen are the major factors affecting maize production in arid and semi-arid areas. The objectives of this study were to investigate the effects of different water, salinity and nitrogen levels on yield-water relationships, water use, water productivity (WP), water use efficiency (WUE) and water uptake reduction function by maize hybrid SC-704 in a semi-arid area and silty clay loam soil. A split-split-plot design with three replications in two years of 2009 and 2010 was conducted. The different levels of irrigation water considered as main plot, salinity of irrigation water as sub-plot and nitrogen fertilizer rate as sub-sub-plot. Irrigation treatments consisted of I1 (1.0ETc+0.25ETc as leaching), I2 (0.75I1) and I3 (0.50I1) applied at 7-day intervals. The salinity treatments of irrigation were 0.6 (fresh water), 2.0 and 4.0 dS m-1. There were also three nitrogen (N) treatments including 0, 150 and 300 kg N ha-1. Results showed that the actual crop ET and transpiration (T) were significantly less in I3 as compared to I1 treatments as 42 and 43%, respectively. Besides, T values under S3 were statistically less than that in S1 treatment as 12%. The soil evaporation (E) values were 26, 31 and 27% of ET at I1, I2 and I3 treatments, respectively and its values significantly increased with increasing salinity levels of irrigation water. The minimum and maximum amount of E occurred at I3S1N3 and I1S3N3, respectively. The study showed that deficit irrigation as 0.50I1 and 0.75 I1 were the optimum levels of irrigation to access the highest WP and WUE for dry matter (DM) and grain yield (GY) respectively. Besides, S1 was the optimum treatment for achievement of highest WP and WUE for DM and GY. Results also indicated that the optimum treatment for WP and WUE for GY was I2S1N3. Furthermore, N fertilization could not statistically improve WP and WUE beyond 150 kg N ha-1. The yield response factor to water showed that maize GY was more sensitive to water than its DM. Results also indicated that the Homaee and Feddes (1999) equation as resulted in acceptable estimation of root-water uptake reduction function [α (h,ho)]. Furthermore, results showed that the FAO method underestimated the maize yield (DM/GY) at different N application rates: however, the Homaee and Feddes (1999) method resulted in acceptable prediction of the maize GY. Therefore, Homaee and Feddes (1999) equation is recommended for estimation of both α (h, ho) and maize GY.

Plant height of sunflower is a major agronomic trait affecting crop performance in the field and its adaptation to mechanical harvest. Field experiments were conducted to study the effect of foliar application of paclobutrazol (PBZ) at 12.5 g ai/ha, mepiquat chloride (MPC) at 25.0 g ai/ha and chlormequat chloride (CCC) at 1,500 g ai/ha in single or double applications on sunflower plant morphology, growth and achene yield and oil content. Single applications of PBZ or MPC reduced sunflower plant height at maturity by 11.1% and 11.7%, respectively. Single applications of PBZ, MPC or CCC did not reduce the above ground dry weight of the plants, provided similar achene yield per plant and 100-achenes weight compared with those of the non-treated control, whereas increased the total number of achenes as well as the number of filled achenes per capitulum. Double applications of PBZ, MPC or CCC reduced plant height by 13.9%, 15.6% and 13.4%, respectively, but proved in certain cases to have a phytotoxic effect on achene and oil production. Double application of PBZ resulted in lower achene and oil yield than the non-treated control, whereas double application of MPC resulted in lower above ground dry weight at maturity, achene yield and 100-achenes weight. Double application of CCC resulted in reduced 100-achenes weight. Overall, PBZ and MPC under the single dose scheme applied can reduce plant height in sunflower without adverse effects on achene and oil yields, thus providing a basis for reducing the risk of plant lodging.

This study was aimed at analyzing the yield, grain quality and weed infestation of spring triticale sown in 3 tillage systems: a) conventional tillage (CT)-shallow ploughing and harrowing after harvest of the previous crop, ploughing in the autumn; b) reduced tillage (RT)-only cultivator after harvest of the previous crop, and c) no-tillage (NT)-only glyphosate (360 g L-1) after harvest of the previous crop. Depth of tillage varied according to intended purpose with shallow ploughing at a depth of 10-12 cm, autumn ploughing at a depth of 25-30 cm and cultivator tillage at a depth of 10-15 cm. The yield of spring triticale of ‘Legalo’ cultivar sown in the CT was higher than grain yields from RT and NT systems. The lower productivity of triticale in the NT and RT systems, compared to the CT system, resulted from a reduced number of spikes as well as a lower weight and number of grains from spike. Grain of triticale harvested from CT plots was characterized by a higher content of starch and by lower contents of protein and crude fiber than the grain from the RT and NT systems. The RT and NT systems significantly increased the number and air-dry weight of weeds in triticale crop, compared to the CT system.

Production and area of chickpea are reducing every year in India due to competition with horticulture and other cash crops in irrigated areas. There is a greatscope for expanding chickpea production with or without limited irrigation in rainfed rice fallow lands (RRFL) in the states of Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh. Nineteen chickpea genotypes were tested using participatory varietal selection (PVS) trials on farmers’ fields in each of the four districts of Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh. Among the several traits of the introduced chickpea varieties, grain yield was the most preferred trait by farmers, followed by resistance to diseases and early maturity. Selection of chickpea genotypes varied over time and location depending on agronomic and climatic pressures, indicating a preference by farmers for growing multiple, improved varieties. Yield potential of PVS genotypes averaged up to 50% greater than the local cultivar. Farmers’ participation in the selection process of genotypes laid the foundation of better and sustainable yields of chickpea and thereby providing better economic returns suitable to small farmers of RRFL of Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh. The results of this study can be replicated in thesimilar environments in Asia and Africa.

Understanding variation in SW (seed weigh) is of major importance in understanding SY (seed yield) variation. The objective of this study was to determine factors such as SN (seed number) per unit area, SFD (seed filling duration) and SFR (seed filling rate) and temperature, LAI (leaf area index), LAD (leaf area duration), above-ground dry matter, CGR (crop growth rate), leaf dry matter remobilization and efficiency and SSR (source-sink ratio) around SFP (seed filling period), affecting SW in canola (Brassica napus L.). The experiment was conducted at Agricultural Research Station of Gonbad, Iran, during 2005-7. Two cultivars of spring type canola (Hyola401 and RGS003) as subplots were grown at 5 sowing dates (SDs) as main plots, spaced approximately 30 days apart, to obtain a wide range of environmental conditions during SFP. The experiment was arranged in two conditions, i.e. supplemental irrigation (SI) and rainfed (RF). SW was influenced by the growing season rainfall and temperature. The availability of the crop to produce and to remobilize photosynthetic assimilates to developing seeds was a good determinant factor for SW. SW increased with increase in LAI, above-ground dry matter production and remobilization and SSR around SFP, leading to an increased SY, suggested that SW primarily depends on the resource availability. The relationships of SW with SFR and SFD and above-ground dry matter, LAI, leaf dry matter remobilization and efficiency and SSR around SFP, over environmental conditions, sowing dates and cultivars, showed these variables to be generally applicable in canola SW determination.

Exogenously applied glycinebetaine (GB) accumulates at high levels in maize (Zea mays L.). Under water deficit and high temperature conditions GB application produces yield benefits. These sub-optimum conditions often result in high levels of aflatoxin accumulation which reduces grain quality. A 3-year (2008, 2009 and 2010) field experiment was conducted to determine the effects of GB on maize yield and aflatoxin accumulation. Weekly and alternate weekly GB application increased plant biomass by 10 and 13%, respectively. Net photosynthesis increased by 6% with GB application; however, stomatal conductance, transpiration rate and electron transport rate were not significantly affected. Grain yield increased by 6 and 13% with GB applied alternate weekly and weekly, respectively, over control plots averaged over years. GB application resulted in a trend of reduced aflatoxin accumulation in inoculated ears compared with non-inoculated controls in 2009 and 2010; however, inherent field and sampling variation did not allow us to conclude statistically any advantage attributable to GB application. We can conclude that GB did not significantly reduce aflatoxin production in the inoculated treatments.