Genetic bases of corn inoculated with Azospirillum brasilense via seed and foliar application

Abstract

Nitrogen is available in insufficient quantities in Brazilian soils, and is the nutrient that raises the most cost of production of maize. Nowadays there is a more interest in the use of alternative nitrogen sources, such as biological nitrogen fixation, to supply plant demand. Among the most used bacteria in association with grasses is Azospirillum brasilense. In this way this study aimed to establish a relationship between the genetic bases of corn and the forms of A. brasilense application and the effects on the plant morphological components, grain yield, and relative nitrogen contribution. Experiments were conducted during the 2013/14 and 2014/15 crop seasons. The experiments included two single hybrids, two double hybrids, and two triple hybrids inoculated with A. brasilense via seed treatment; foliar application during phenological stages V2, V2 + V4, and V4; and a control treatment without bacteria. The response varied with the hybrid and the year. In the 2013/14 crop, a significant difference was observed in the grain yield for the single hybrid AG9045 inoculated with A. brasilense via seed and foliar application in V2. In the 2014/15 crop, inoculation with A. brasilense via seed application resulted in significant increases in the grain yield for the triple hybrid BG7051. Foliar application of A. brasilense is an efficient alternative for the improvement of plant morphological traits, and inoculation via seed and with foliar application in V2 increases the relative contribution of N.