Azospirillum brasilense, urease inhibitor, and sulfur contributes on initial growth of wheat.

Abstract

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is an annual crop with potential for cultivation expansion, requiring nutritional management that can favor the nitrogen use efficient and plant growth. We aimed to evaluate the initial growth of wheat in function of different nitrogen fertilization management, without or with Azospirillum brasilense and sulfur. The treatments consisted of the following management: CK (without cover fertilization), urea, urea with urease inhibitor N-(n-butyl) thiophosphoric triamide (NBPT), urea NBPT (80%) + ammonium sulfate (20%), without cover fertilizer + A. brasilense, urea + A. brasilense, urea NBPT + A. brasilense, and urea NBPT (80%) + ammonium sulfate (20%) + A. brasilense. Nutritional management contributed to phenotypic responses to shoot of the plants and culm diameter, especially compared to CK plants. Plants with NBPT + sulfur, without and with A. brasilense showed a higher chlorophyll index. CK plants and those only with A. brasilense had a lower number of tillers and numerically the shoot dry mass. Nutritional management with A. brasilense, urease inhibitor and sulfur contributed to the initial growth of wheat plants.