Total nitrogen uptake by maize with Azotobacter inoculation

Summary The economic feasibility of using cultures of nitrogen fixing microorganisms in programmes to increase crop production, as a selfgenerating source of nitrogen, has been proved beyond doubtviz. Legume-Rhizobium symbiosis and blue green algal ‘fertilizer’ for rice. The extent to which the free living, N-fixing, aerobic, heterotropicAzotobacter chroococcum could replace the application of nitrogenous fertilizer to maize was investigatedin vivo. Total nitrogen uptake (kg ha⁻¹) by maize after inoculation with Azotobacter combined with moderate applications of nitrogen fertilizer and farmyard manure was influenced significantly and resulted in a higher nitrogen concentration in grain and stover along with a higher yield. Part of Ph.D. Thesis