Response of Lentil to Crude Humates and Rhizobacteria Inoculation under Calcareous Soils Conditions

TWO field experiments were conducted, during two cropping seasons, to study the cultivation of two lentil cultivars, namely Sina-1 and Giza-9, under a calcareous soils condition. The cultivation was done using liquid crude humates, extracted from compost, as organic fertilizer or consortium of some PGPR including Serratia marcescens, Bacillus megaterium and Pseudomonas fluorescens as biofertilizer against mineral fertilization. The experiments were designed in a split block design. The humate application or PGPR stimulate microbial count and dehydrogenase activity, in the rhizosphere, against a full dose of mineral fertilizers. In general, high rate of humates followed by a full dose of nitrogen recorded maximum values with respect to the plant height, shoot dry weight and leaf area at vegetative state. Concerning to the dark green color index (DGCI), the plants significantly captured more greenness due to applying a full dose of nitrogen followed by a high dose of humate (20L/fed) with Giza 9 compared with Sinai 1 cultivar. The maximum values were recorded by Giza 9 cultivar fertilized with a high dose of humate followed with that of a full dose of nitrogen for pods and seeds number and seeds yield during both cropping seasons. However, the effect of the co-inoculation with PGPR and Rhizobium boosted the yield components against the absolute control and treatment of individual Rhizobium + activation dose of nitrogen for the same parameters. Based on results it may be concluded that cultivation of Giza 9 cultivar with the application of crude humate at 20L/fed and Rhizobium inoculation is being favored under calcareous soil.