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EFFECT OF MINERAL NITROGEN FERTILIZATION
ON GROWTH CHARACTERISTICS OF LUCERNE UNDER INDUCED WATER DEFICIENCY
STRESS
VILIANA VASILEVA1, OGNYAN
KOSTOV2, EMIL VASILEV1 AND MOHAMMAD ATHAR3
Abstract:
Utility of lucerne crop fertilization
with nitrogen fertilizer has been discussed in literature with
controversy. In this study experiment was conducted to determine the
effect of mineral nitrogen at the doses of
40, 80, 120
and
160 mg
N/kg on some characteristics of lucerne under induced water deficiency
stress at the stage of budding in a pot trial. It was found that mineral
nitrogen at the doses of
120
and
160 mg
N/kg soil increased the productivity of dry top mass by 17 and 23% in
conditions of optimum moisture, and by 9% in conditions of water
deficiency stress at the dose of 80 mg N/kg soil. Application of mineral
nitrogen at the dose of 120 and 160 mg N/kg soil increased the quantity
of dry root mass by 43 and 38% for the conditions of optimum moisture,
and by 54-56% for conditions of water deficiency stress. Mineral
nitrogen fertilizing at the dose of 40 mg N/kg soil had the lowest
suppressive effect on the nodulation (11%). The dose of 160 mg N/kg soil
was found to be toxic to nodulation. The dose of 80 mg N/kg soil, at
which the crop had the lowest sensitivity to water deficiency stress,
was optimal for lucerne development.
1Institute
of Forage Crops, 89 General Vladimir Vazov Street, 5800 Pleven,
Bulgaria, viliana.vasileva@gmail.com
2Institute
of Soil Science “N. Pushkarov”, 7 Shosse Bankya Street, 1407 Sofia,
Bulgaria
3California
Department of Food and Agriculture, 3288 Meadowview Road, Sacramento, CA
95832, USA
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