<b>Performance of paddy rice in response to the use of nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria</b> - DOI: 10.4025/actasciagron.v29i1.67

Abstract

A four-year experiment irrigated rice was carried out in order to evaluate the performance of Nostoc sp. and Tolypothrix sp. nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria strains (Rizogram™), as an alternative to chemical nitrogen fertilization in irrigated rice. The treatments evaluated in the experiments included: control without top dressing N application; top dressing application of 20, 40 and 90 kg ha^-1; 50 g ha^-1 of Rizogram™, and 100 g ha^-1 of Rizogram™. It was verified interaction between the years of the study and the treatments, which may have affected the performance of these treatments. Moreover, it was observed that, for the number of grains per panicle, the use of cyanobacteria in two studied rates (50 e 100 g ha^-1) produced the same results as the nitrogen fertilization (90 kg ha^-1), showing potential reduction of sterile spikelets. However, the treatments did not affected rice grain yield.