PEANUT CROP PRODUCTIVITY IN A NEWLY RECLAIMED SALINE SOIL OF SAHL EL- TINA UNDER THE EFFECT OF USING NITROGEN MINERAL, ORGANIC AND BIO - FERTILIZERS

A field experiment was conducted during the two successive seasons of 2007 and 2008 on a saline sandy clay soil at a private farm (Gelbana village), Sahl El-Tina east Suez Canal. The aim was to study the effect of biofertilizer (a salt tolerant Bradyrhizobium sp.) humic acid and organic compost (10 m³ fed^-1) applied under two N rates, i.e. 25 and 50 kg N fed^-1 (as urea 46% N) on peanut production and soil fertility under surface irrigation system.
                The obtained results indicated that the use of biofertilizer, humic acid and compost combined with either 25 or 50 kg N fed^-1 led to significant increases in peanut straw, pod and seed yields as well as seed protein contents compared with mineral N fertilizer alone with slight difference between the two N rates, and compost treatment out yielded the other treatments. Application of the used materials also improved N, P and K uptake by straw and seeds as well as their contents of Fe, Mn, Zn and Cu. Soil contents of the available macro-and micronutrients remained after peanut harvest were greatly ameliorated by the applied materials which seem to be quite useful for improving peanut yield and its quality as well as soil fertility under saline soil condition. The beneficial effects of the applied materials could categorize as: compost > humic acid > biofertilizer under the lower N rate.