Associação entre Azospirillum brasilense e adubação nitrogenada em híbridos de milho

Abstract

SUMMARY - Bacteria of the genus Azospirillum are atmospheric nitrogen (N) fixers and might promote the plant growth in non-leguminous plants. The use of inoculants containing these bacteria, mainly in corn culture, in an attempt to reduce the use of nitrogen fertilizers, improve the growth and development of plants and increase the productivity of grains is a good alternative for sustainable agriculture, however several factors may interfere in getting those benefits, such as the choice of the hybrid to be used, soil and climate conditions and management adopted. Thus, the objective was to evaluate the effect of inoculation with Azospirillum brasilense associated with nitrogen fertilization in corn hybrids coverage that has been recommended for Southwest Goiás, through two experiments. In the first field experiment conducted at second harvest with ten hybrids submitted to the inoculation with Azospirillum brasilense and nitrogen topdressing doses, consisting in the following treatments: no inoculation and no topdressing fertilization, no topdressing fertilization and inoculation, 35 kg ha-1 of N topdressing and inoculation; and 70 kg ha-1 of N topdressing and inoculation, thus forming a 10 x 4 factorial arrangement. Variables related to growth and development have been evaluated, analysis of the enzyme nitrate reductase activity and productivity variables and its components ended up in a conclusion that the inoculation itself was not able to generate significant increments in the variables analyzed, however with the application of nitrogen fertilizer in coverage it was possible to detect the positive effect of the doses tested in some variables. Therefore, under the conditions of this study, the most productive hybrids were the BioGene 7046®, Dekalb 310® and Agroeste 1596®. In the second field experiment, at first crop, we aimed to evaluate methods of application of Azospirillum brasilense (no application, application in seeds, foliar application and combination of application in seed and leaf) associated with nitrogen topdressing doses (0, 35 and 70 kg ha-1 of N) in two hybrids who achieved greater magnitude in productivity of grains in the previous experiment (BioGene 7046® and Dekalb 310®). Variables, related to growth and development, have been evaluated, analysis of the enzyme nitrate reductase activity and productivity variables and its components have been too. Inoculation with Azospirillum brasilense, regardless of the method of application had no effect on the variables related to growth and development and did not generate any increase in grain production. There has been effect due the inoculation with A. brasilense only in seeds during the activity of nitrate reductase in a specific way for one of the hybrids associated with one of the doses of nitrogen topdressing. The nitrogen topdressing fertilization is an essential practice, providing an increase in the growth and development of corn.