Genotypic variability of maize for nitrogen accumulation and contribution of biological nitrogen fixation

Abstract

The aim of this work was to compare nine genotypes of maize inoculated with a mixture of diazotrophic bacteria, and to quantify the contribution of biological nitrogen fixation (BNF). In order to quantify the BNF, isotopic dilution technique was used, in a concrete tank loaded with Ultissol horizon B, labelled with ¹⁵N. Differences were observed between total dry matter, grain production and N accumulation but differences in the enrichment of ¹⁵N were not observed, showing that the productivity and N accumulation were a result of the phenotype variability in extract N from the soil.