The objective 3‘ the or sent study is to asses the effect of mineral and bio-
nitrogen fertilizers or the nitra: content of cucumber fruits. Two field experiments
were carried out a: Sakna A rlcultural Research Station Farm, Kafr El—Sheikh
Governorate, Egypt uric; the two successive summer seasons of 2004 and 2005
using the recommended cucumber hybrid seeds. Split split plot design was used
with four replicates The plot area was 20 squire meter. The main plots were
assigned to two inoculation methods of ‘l- the inoculum was added as liquid and, 2-
the lnoculum was added as tablets. The sub plots were assigned to three mineral
nitrogen levels of 1- zero nitrogen (check treatment), 2- 30 kg N led"l (fed = 4200
m2), and 3- 60 kg N fed". The mineral nitrogen was added as ammonium nitrate
33%. The sub sub plots were assigned to two inoculation treatments of 1- without
inoculation and 2- Inoculation with effective strains of non symbiotic Nz-fiXIf'lg
bacteria. Nitrate content of the cucumber fruits was measured during the early.
middle and late cuttings.
The most important results can be summarized as follows:
a Increasing mineral nitrogen levels led to dramatic increase of nitrate content in
cucumber fruits and petioles in both seasons.
o tear increases in nitrate content of cucumber fruits and petioles were detected
due to inoculation with non symbiotic Ng—fixing bacteria in both seasons.
o No clear differences in nitrate content of cucumber fruits and petioles were
observed due to inoculation method-s in both seasons.
t The highest nitrate content was observed in the samples from the early out and
the lowest with the samples of late out in both seasons.
+- Increasing the mineral nitrogen levels led to clear increases of nitrate and nitrite
in the soil in both seasons.
in Nitrate and nitrite in the soils were increased by the inoculation with non
symbiotic Nz-fixing bacteria.