Influence of Nitrogen and Seed Biopriming with Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPR) on Yield and Agronomic Characteristics of Red Lentil

In order to study the effects of nitrogen fertilizer and seed inoculation with plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) on yield, agronomic character sticks, rate and effective grain filling period of Red Lentil, a factorial experiment was conducted based on randomized complete block design with three replications in farm village in Ardabil in 2012. Factors were different rates of nitrogen fertilizer in four levels (without nitrogen application and application 25, 50 and 75 kg urea per hectare) as N0, N1, N2, N3 respectively and seed inoculation with plant growth promoting rhizobacteria in four levels (without inoculation, seed inoculation with Azospirillum lipoferum strain OF, Azotobacter chrocococum strain 5, Pseudomonas strain 9). The results showed that nitrogen fertilizer rates and seed inoculation with PGPR had significantly effects on grain yield, grian 1000 weight, number of grains per plant, plant height and all of grain filling parameters such as grainfilling period, rate and effective grain filling period. Maximum of grain filling period was obtained in application of 50 kg urea/ha × seed inoculation with Azotobacter chrocococum. Seed inoculation with plant growth promoting rhizobacteria increased grain yield and nitrogen use efficiency compared to no seed inoculation. Grain yield increased in high rates of nitrogen fertilizer and it was vice versa in fertilizer use efficiency. Maximum of nitrogen use efficiency (0.75 kg/kg) was obtained in application of 50 kg urea /ha × seed inoculation with Azotobacter chrocococum and minimum of it (0.22 kg/kg) was obtained in application of 75 kg urea /ha × no seed inoculation.