Asian Journal of Microbiology, Biotechnology & Environmental Sciences Paper

BIOFERTILIZERS IMPACT ON CANOLA (BRASSICA NAPUS L.) SEED YIELD AND QUALITY

ESMAEIL YASARI, A. M. PATWARDHAN, V. S. GFIOLE, GHASEMI CHAPI, OMID AND ASGHARZADEH, AHMAD

Abstract

Canola was grown as a second crop in rotation after wheat to investigate the effect of chemical fertilizers as well as biofertilizers on seed yield and quality i.e. oil, protein and nutrients concentration of canola (Brassica naps L.). Split-plot fertilizers application experimental design in 4 replications was carried out during the 2004-2005 growing season, at the Baiecola Agricultural Research Station in the Mazandaran province of Iran. Biofertilizers treatments were two different levels: control (no seed inoculation) and seeds inoculation with a combination of Azotobacter chrocoocc-ii in and Azospirititun brasi1ense and Azospirillum lipofertun, as main plot, and chemical fertilizers comprised N, P. K, and their combinations, NPKS and NPK Zn as sub plots. The maximum value of seed yield obtained at treatment T,0(Bio+NPK Zn) 3741.500 kg/h corresponding to 257.7 pods per plant and maximum concentration of Zn in leaves as well as seeds. The highest weight of 1000 seeds (4.45 g) happened to obtain at treatment no T,,(Bio+NPK S) which coinciding with the maximum K levels in leaves. The highest number of branches was obtained in the treatment T20 (Bio+NPK Zn) with 4.43 branches per plant i.e. 46.2 (Y. increase over the control. The maximum value of canola oil content 47.73 % obtained at T16 (Bio+NK) but maximum protein concentration of seed obtained at T12 (Bio+N). Overall it was observed that inoculation resulted in increase in seeds yield (21.17%), number of pods per plant (16.05%), number of branches (11.78%), weight of 1000 grain (2.92%), oil content of seeds (1.73%) and protein (3.91%) but decrease (-0.24%) in number of seeds per pods comparing to nonbiofertilizers treatments. Irrespective to the treatments, results showed that application of biofertilizers coincided with 3.86, 0.82, 2.25, 0.75 and 0.91% increase in concentrations of N, P. K, S and Zn in the seeds over the non-biofertilizers treatments, respectively.