RESPONSE OF WHEAT PLANT (Triticum aestivum L.) TO NITROGEN FERTILIZERS AND BIO-FERTILIZERS TREATMENTS

Two pot experiments were implements under greenhouse conditions at Sakha Agricultural Research station, Agric. Res. Centre, Giza, Egypt, and laboratory of Agricultural Botany Department, Faculty of Agriculture, KafrelSheikh University, Egypt, during 2018/2019 and 2019/2020 seasons, to study the effect of bio-fertilizers (Azospirillum spp. or Azotobacter spp.) application, associated or not with (25, 50 and 75% of nitrogen recommended) and 100% of N recommended and uninoculated (control) on growth, yield and its components and physiological features of wheat plants. The results showed that application of Azospirillum (seed treatment) in combination with 75% of N recommended significantly increased plant height, dry weight plant(-1) and flag leaf area as well as spike number plant(-1), grains number plant(-1) and 100-grain weight, compared to control. This resulted to an increase in grain and straw yield plant(-1). Azotobacter (foliar spray onto leaves of plant and seed treatment) with 75% of N recommended increased ch1.a, ch1.b and total chl. compared to control, in the second season. Azospirillum, seed treatment with 75% of N recommended application significantly increased N content of grain and straw plant(-1). From these results it could be recommended using seed inoculation with non-symbiotic fixing bacteria in combination with 75% of N recommended to minimize chemical fertilizer dose about 25% of N recommended without affect in the grain and straw yield.