A field experiment was conducted at the Ismailia Agricultural Research Station during the two growing seasons of 2008-09 and 2009-10, to study the separate application of biofertilizers, organic manure (0, 5, and 10 tons/fed) and mineral N-fertilizer (0, 40, 60, and 80 kg N/fed) and their combined application on plant growth, yield and its components, seed quality (oil and protein content) of canola plants (c.v. Serw 4). Split-spilt plot design with three replicates was used.
Results indicated that the individual application of biofertilizer, organic manure (10 ton/fed) and N-fertilizer at rate 80 kg N/fed caused 5.1 and 4.9 %, 18.5 and 16.6% and 40 and 40.3 % in seed yield during two seasons, respectively over control. Likewise, the interaction among the used levels of mineral N-fertilizer and bio-organic fertilizer revealed significant effect in both studied seasons for all investigated characters of canola plants. In this respect, it is worthy to note that the treatment of 80 kg N/fed of the recommended dose of N did not statistically differ from that of 40 kg N/fed of N fertilizer plus biofertilizer and 10 tons/fed compost manure. As for seed quality of canola, it was also found that protein content was increased by application of bio, organic, and inorganic N-fertilizer. However oil content was decreased by nitrogen application but it was increased with addition of biofertilizer and compost manure. Seed protein and oil content were significantly increased by the integrated fertilizers applications. This mean that inoculated seed of canola plant with biofertilizer containing nitrogen fixer bacteria plus addition of compost manure at 10 ton/fed., substitute half of the recommended dose from the used mineral nitrogen fertilizer.