RESPONSE OF THREE LENTIL (Lens culinaris M.) CUL TIVARS TO RHIZOBIUM AND AZOTOBACTER INOCULATION UNDER LOW DOSE OF N-FERTILIZATION

A field experiment was carried out at Sakha Agricultural Research Station in
1998/99 and 1999/2000 seasons to study the effect of N-fertilization and inoculation
with Rhizobium and Azotobacter on nodulation, N2-fixation and yield of Giza 51, Sinai
1 and Line 3693 lentil cultivars. Treatments of nitrogen zero and 15 kg/fed. (1 fed. =
0.42 ha) and four treatments of inoculation were used, uninoculated, inoculated with
. Rhizobium, Azotobacter and' Rhitobium + Azotobacter .
. The results indicated that, the new lentil line 3693, N-fertilization with starter
dose (15 Kg·/feO.), and -mixed inoculation with Rhizobium and Azotobacter gave the
highest number and dry weight of' nodules and dry weighVplant. The interactions
effect between mixed inoculation with Rhizobium and Azotobacter with lentil line 3693
or N-fertilization gave the highest values of these traits.
The two cultivars, Giza 51 and line 3693 superior to Sinai-1 cultivar in yield
and yield components, in the two growing seasons. While, the data showed that
insignificant responseto N-fertilization.on yield and its components. Mixed inoculation
of Rhizopiurn .and Azotobacter significantly increased seed yield and all tested
components.' Nitrogen seed content was increased by N-fertilization and bacterial
inoculation. The interactions between lentil cultivars, N-fertilization and bacterial
inoculation on yield and its components were not significant.