Azza A.M.Abd El-All ,Elham M.Aref and Reda M.El-Shahat. ( 2011). Influence of cyanobacteria and Azolla on wheat crop cultivated in a saline soil. N.Egypt. J.Microbiol. vol. 30, September (132-143).
Abstract: This study investigated the effect of both the nitrogen fixing plant growth promoting Azolla pinnata and a mixture of two cyanobacteria strains viz.Nostoc muscorum and Anabaena oryzae on growth and yield of wheat grown in highly saline soils at high salinity .In this work, a wheat field experiment was carried out at South El- Hossinia Research Farm Station, El- Sharkia Governorate, Agric. Res. Center, (ARC). Egypt, in the two successive winter seasons 2009/2010 and 2010/2011 to study the effect of Azolla (fresh and dry) and cyanobacteria suspension as seed soaking ,filtrate for spray treatments and urea (75kg-N) as nitrogen fertilizer on growth, yield and yield components of wheat (Triticum aestivum cv.sakha 69) cultivated in highly saline soil (EC: 23.5 dsm-1) .Also, their effect on some chemical properties and biological activity. Results revealed that the highest organic matter percent was due to the use 25kg-N-urea +25kgN dry Azolla+17L cyanobacteria (T11). All tested biofertilizer treatments decreased both EC and pH compared to the control treatment. Results also exhibited a favorite influence of foliar application for both Azolla and cyanobacteria(T11), since it gave significantly higher wheat yield, yield components and N, P, K contents of both grains and straw compared to the other treatments and control (75kg-N). The treatment (T11) of (25kg-urea+25kg N- Azolla+17L cyano.), applied as foliar spray gave also the highest values of all soil biological activity parameters However, it may be of beneficial to use cyanobacteria and Azolla (dry or fresh) applied as foliar +25kgN-urea to wheat plants exhibited an economical view that it can save about 50% of the mineral nitrogen amounts and could be used as a good tool to promote wheat productivity and yield quality as it provides an eco-friendly biological approach under saline soil conditions.
Keywords: (Cyanobacteria – Azolla-- yield of wheat – Salinity .)
