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Bio-fertilizers are the most important and effective method used to reduce the quantities of chemical fertilizers consumed and reduce dependence on them in agricultural production to avoid their harmful effects on the environment and public health as well as reduce the cost of agricultural production in light of increasing pollution and under adverse conditions for production and climate change. A bio-fertilizer depends primarily on the use of beneficial microorganisms such as arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) to improve the uptake of nutrients, improve plant growth, productivity, and grain yield. Crop production faces many challenges, and drought is one of the majority of the significant factors limiting crop production worldwide, especially in semi-arid regions. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of AMF and phosphate solubilizing bacteria (PSB), plus three rates of the recommended dose of phosphorus (RDP) fertilizer on yield, yield components, and nutrients uptake, in addition to evaluating the beneficial effects of these combinations to develop Phosphorus (P) management under three levels of irrigation water, i.e., three irrigations (normal or well-watered), two irrigations (moderate drought), and one irrigation (severe drought) on barley (Hordeum vulgare L.). The results showed that the treatment with AMF bio-fertilizer yielded the highest values of plant height, spike length, spike weight, number of grains/spike, 1000-grain weight, grain yield, straw yield, biological yield, and harvest index. Moreover, the grain and straw uptake of nitrogen (N), P, and potassium (K) (kg ha−1) in the two seasons under the three levels of irrigation, respectively, were superior followed by the inoculation by PSB. While the treatment without bio-fertilizer yielded the lowest values of these traits of barley, the treatment with bio-fertilizer yielded the increased percentage of the grain yield by 17.27%, 17.33% with applying AMF, and 10.31%, 10.40% with treatment by PSB. Treatment with AMF or PSB (Phosphorien), plus rates of phosphorus fertilizer under conditions of irrigation water shortage, whether irrigation was performed once or twice, led to an increase in grain yield and other characteristics compared to the same fertilization rates without inoculation. The results of this study showed that the use of bio-fertilizers led to an increase in plant tolerance to drought stress, and this was demonstrated by an increase in various traits with the use of treatments that include bio-fertilizers. Therefore, it is suggested to inoculate the seeds with AMF or PSB plus adding phosphate fertilizers at the recommended dose under drought conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Field experiments were carried out to investigate the effect of potassium levels (0,48 kg K2O/fed.), nitrogen levels (50, 70, 90 kg N/fed.) and their combinations on physiological and yield characters of two wheat cvs. Misr 1 and Sids 12. Our results showed that, Sids 12 gave the highest values of physiological and yield characters (chlorophyl content, dry weight/m², plant height, spike length, number of spikes/m², number of grains/spike, weight of 1000-grain, grain yield, biological yield (kg/fed) and grain protein content) during both seasons. Increasing nitrogen rate from 50 to 90 kg N/fed., signficantly increased physiological and yield characters. Application of potassium fertilizer resulted in significant increase in physiological and yield characters compared with control (without K) in both seasons. Application of 48 kg K2O/fed. recorded the highest values of all studied characters in both seasons. Interestingly enough that, the interaction between cultivars and potassium levels had significant effect in number of spike/m² in both seasons and in biological yield in the first season. The interaction between cultivars and nitrogen levels recorded significant values in spike length in the first season, grain yield character in the second season, number of spike/m², biological yield in both seasons. The combination between nitrogen and potassium levels had significant effect on dry weight of plant/m², chlorophyll content and plant height in the second season, number of spike/m², biological yield, grain yield and crude protein percent in both seasons. While, the interaction between cultivars and combination of potassium and nitrogen recorded a significant effect in biological yield in the first season and in both number of spike/m² and grain yield in the two seasons. Application of 90 kg N/fed. along with 48 kg K2O/fed could be recommended for the heighest grain yield of wheat cv. Sids 12 under Kafr El-Shiekh Governorate condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A two-year field experiment was conducted to study the behavior of three improved Egyptian rice varieties under different rates of nitrogen fertilizer. The selected tested varieties were Sakha109 (Japonica type), Giza179 (Indica/Japonica Type), and Giza182 (Indica type). Giza179 was treated with the highest nitrogen rate and recorded the highest grain yield values. The studied varieties showed different behavior under the various nitrogen levels. Giza182 recorded a high grain yield with better nutritional value. Higher grain quality characteristics were obtained from Sakha109. Generally, increasing the nitrogen level up to 200 kg N/ha increased rice grain yield, hulling (%), milling (%), and head rice (%) as well as carbohydrate %, oil %, ash amylose %, nitrogen %, phosphorus %, potassium %, and protein % in milled rice grains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]