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Utility of phyllosphere N2-fixing micro-organisms in the improvement of crop growth

I. Rice

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Summary

The beneficial effect of spraying some highly active phyllosphere N2-fixing microorganisms on high and low yielding cultivars of rice plants as compared with that of urea applied at different doses are described. The dry weight, N-content, 1000 grain weight, and yield were remarkably increased in all cases with the application of phyllosphere microorganisms. The performance of two isolates KUP4 and KUPBR2 with IR-8 and IR-26 rice, was better than that of 52 kg urea-N per hectare. IR-579 rice leaves in association with some phyllosphere bacteria reduced acetylene at the rate of 664–816 nmoles/g leaf/h. In IR-26 rice the effect of application of bacterial suspension at three phases of plant growth corresponded very well with that of urea application in three split doses under identical conditions. Recommended fertilizer rates produced the same yield as the half dose plus bacterial spray in the cultivars Pankaj and Rupsail. Fertilizer application in Pankaj and Rupsail rice reduced nitrogenase activity and the beneficial effects of phyllosphere N2-fixation was reduced by 40–55%.

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Author notes

  1. B. Sen Gupta

    Present address: Bejoy Narayan Mahavidyalaya, Itachuna, Hooghly, West Bengal, India

  2. A. S. Nandi

    Present address: Bankura Sammilani College, Bankura, West Bengal, India

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Botany, University of Kalyani, 741 235, Kalyani, India

    B. Sen Gupta, A. S. Nandi & S. P. Sen

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  1. B. Sen Gupta
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  2. A. S. Nandi
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  3. S. P. Sen
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Sen Gupta, B., Nandi, A.S. & Sen, S.P. Utility of phyllosphere N2-fixing micro-organisms in the improvement of crop growth. Plant Soil 68, 55–67 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02374727

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02374727

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