TY - JOUR
T1 - Can silicon applied to correct soil acidity in combination with Azospirillum brasilense inoculation improve nitrogen use efficiency in maize?
AU - Galindo, Fernando Shintate
AU - Pagliari, Paulo Humberto
AU - Buzetti, Salatiér
AU - Rodrigues, Willian Lima
AU - Santini, José Mateus Kondo
AU - Boleta, Eduardo Henrique Marcandalli
AU - Rosa, Poliana Aparecida Leonel
AU - Nogueira, Thiago Assis Rodrigues
AU - Lazarini, Edson
AU - Filho, Marcelo Carvalho Minhoto Teixeira
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 This is an open access article, free of all copyright, and may be freely reproduced, distributed, transmitted, modified, built upon, or otherwise used by anyone for any lawful purpose. The work is made available under the Creative Commons CC0 public domain dedication.
PY - 2020/4
Y1 - 2020/4
N2 - Alternative management practices are needed to minimize the need for chemical fertilizer use in non-leguminous cropping systems. The use of biological agents that can fix atmospheric N has shown potential to improve nutrient availability in grass crops. This research was developed to investigate if inoculation with Azospirillum brasilense in combination with silicon (Si) can enhance N use efficiency (NUE) in maize. The study was set up in a Rhodic Hapludox under a no-till system, in a completely randomized block design with four replicates. Treatments were tested in a full factorial design and included: I) five side dress N rates (0 to 200 kg ha-1); ii) two liming sources (Ca and Mg silicate and dolomitic limestone); and iii) with and without seed inoculation with A. brasilense. Inoculation with A. brasilense was found to increase grain yield by 15% when N was omitted and up to 10% when N was applied. Inoculation also increased N accumulation in plant tissue. Inoculation and limestone application were found to increase leaf chlorophyll index, number of grains per ear, harvest index, and NUE. Inoculation increased harvest index and NUE by 9.5 and 19.3%, respectively, compared with non-inoculated plots. Silicon application increased leaf chlorophyll index and N-leaf concentration. The combination of Si and inoculation provided greater Sishoot accumulation. This study showed positive improvements in maize growth production parameters as a result of inoculation, but the potential benefits of Si use were less evident. Further research should be conducted under growing conditions that provide some level of biotic or abiotic stress to study the true potential of Si application.
AB - Alternative management practices are needed to minimize the need for chemical fertilizer use in non-leguminous cropping systems. The use of biological agents that can fix atmospheric N has shown potential to improve nutrient availability in grass crops. This research was developed to investigate if inoculation with Azospirillum brasilense in combination with silicon (Si) can enhance N use efficiency (NUE) in maize. The study was set up in a Rhodic Hapludox under a no-till system, in a completely randomized block design with four replicates. Treatments were tested in a full factorial design and included: I) five side dress N rates (0 to 200 kg ha-1); ii) two liming sources (Ca and Mg silicate and dolomitic limestone); and iii) with and without seed inoculation with A. brasilense. Inoculation with A. brasilense was found to increase grain yield by 15% when N was omitted and up to 10% when N was applied. Inoculation also increased N accumulation in plant tissue. Inoculation and limestone application were found to increase leaf chlorophyll index, number of grains per ear, harvest index, and NUE. Inoculation increased harvest index and NUE by 9.5 and 19.3%, respectively, compared with non-inoculated plots. Silicon application increased leaf chlorophyll index and N-leaf concentration. The combination of Si and inoculation provided greater Sishoot accumulation. This study showed positive improvements in maize growth production parameters as a result of inoculation, but the potential benefits of Si use were less evident. Further research should be conducted under growing conditions that provide some level of biotic or abiotic stress to study the true potential of Si application.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85083246855&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85083246855&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1371/journal.pone.0230954
DO - 10.1371/journal.pone.0230954
M3 - Article
C2 - 32267854
AN - SCOPUS:85083246855
SN - 1932-6203
VL - 15
JO - PloS one
JF - PloS one
IS - 4
M1 - e0230954
ER -