Effects of chemical fertilizers and biostimulants containing amino acid on yield and growth parameters of broad bean (Vicia

faba L.) Moslem Raeisi1*, Leila Farahani2, Mahboobeh Palashi1 1- Agricultural Department, Jiroft Branch, Islamic Azad University, Jiroft, Iran. 2- Young Researchers and Elite Club, Arak Branch, Islamic Azad University, Arak, Iran. *Corresponding author: Email: moslem.r2007@gmail.com

ABSTRACT- Application of biological fertilizers is a promising approach in reducing environmental pollution and achieving sustainable agriculture. In order to evaluate effect of chemical fertilizers and biostimulants containing amino acid on yield and growth properties of broad bean, the experiment was carried out as completely randomized block with three replicates in 2012. The treatments including 1) NPK15 1500 ppm, 2) NPK15 3000 ppm , 3) NPK20 1500 ppm, 4) NPK20 3000 ppm, 5) Humiforte (H) 1500 ppm, 6) H 3000 ppm, 7) Fosnutren (F) 1500 ppm, 8) F 3000 ppm, 9) Kadostim (K) 1500 ppm, 10) K 3000 ppm and 11) control. Results of the experiment indicated that number of pods in shrub, affected by above treatments at 1% of probability level, while number of flowers in shrub, yield in shrub and total yield affected by the treatments at 5% of probability level. It was no significant difference among treatments for length of pods, number of seeds in pod, weight of single pod, 1000-seed weight and plant height. The highest number of pods in shrub and number of flower in shrub was in K 3000 ppm. Key words: Biostimulants; Fosnutren; Humiforte; Kadostim; Sustainable Agriculture

INTRODUCTION Broad bean (Vicia faba L.) is one of the oldest crops which its protein richness; diversity in agricultural systems and trend to self- sufficiency in its production and finally increasing cost of feed, made it cultivated extremely, recently. This plant originated from Europe and western of Asia, and now the china is the major broad bean producing country which accounted for 52% of cultivated area and production of 52.54% of broad bean in the world. Nutrient value of broad been is due to high protein and essential amino acids like lisetin, Arginin and metionin, which is richer than grain kernels (Sohrabi 1989). In order to increase agricultural products, various agronomical practices like consumption of chemicals were applied. However application of chemicals resulted in higher yield in various crops, but recently environmental pollution especially in soil and water resources threatened human health (Jahan and Koocheki, 1999). Therefore, many efforts were done to found appropriate approaches for improvement of soil quality, agricultural products and pollution elimination. Biostimulants are compounds which stimulated plant growth. Some of them are effective compounds in increasing plant favorable responses and the others stimulated quantitative and qualitative growth of plant (Gawronaka, 2008). In general, they stimulated metabolically processes to achieved higher yield in plants (Starck 2005). Studding effect of biostimulants and mineral fertilizers, Adediran and Akande (2005) reported significant difference between them on yield of tomato. Alaei et al. (2012) investigated effect of two biological fertilizers containing amino acids on germination indices of wheat varieties under drought stress in vitro. They reported significant difference between biostimulants and control and the

Fosnutren had the highest effect on wheat germination. In addition, the use of biostimulators in condition of environmental stress can decrease effects of stress and enhance soil water holding capacity, root growth and yield (Li and Ni, 1996; Fisher and Wilson, 1975). Obviously, combined application of organic fertilizer and urea fertilizer or combination urea fertilizer and polyamines significantly increased yield, vegetative growth and chlorophyll index (Oad et al., 2004; Zeid, 2008). Slawik (2005) applied humiforte to stimulate shoot growth of Norway spruce. Humiforte is a soluble liquid nutrient, with rapidly absorption via leaves or roots, and a high concentration of free amino acids and biologically active oligo peptides, especially recommended for shock treatments. Alaei (2011) investigate effect of Kadostim on wheat plant under drought stress, while Glinicki (2010) reported beneficial effect of biostimulant Resistim on strawberry fruit. This experiment was conducted to evaluate effects of chemical fertilizers including NPK and biostimulants including Kadostim, Fosnutren and Humiforte in different levels (150 and 3000 ppm) on yield and growth parameters in broad bean.

MATERIAL AND METHOD The study was carried out in experimental field of Islamic Azad University, Jiroft branch, Jiroft, Iran in 2012 with 26 43'- 29 35' North latitude and 56 17'- 59 2' East longitude, 625.6 m above sea level, rainfall with an annual mean of 150 mm, mean of humidity 5565%, maximum and minimum of temperature 48 and 0 C. The experiment was conducted in a randomized complete blocks with three replications. After field preparation and before seed culturing, ammonium phosphate (150 kg/ha) added to soil.

Each plot consisted of five rows and 4 m long. The seeds were considered with in-row spacing 20 cm and 30 cm between rows. The treatments including chemical fertilizers (NPK15 and NPK20) and three kinds of biostimulants of Humiforte, Fosnutren and Kadostim in different concentration of 1500 and 3000 ppm, and control. The treatments were applied when 1) 12-13 leaves, 2) 7 days after first treatment, and 3) in flowering stage. In harvesting, some properties including number of pods in bush, pod length, number of seeds in pod, weight of single pod, 1000- seeds weight, number of flowers in bush, yield in bush, yield and plant height were measured. The collected data were subjected to analysis of variance with SAS ver. 9.1 and the means were separated using Least Significant Difference (LSD) test.

RESULTS Results of this experiment indicated that number of pods and flowers in shrub, yield in shrub and m2 were affected by application of chemical fertilizers and growth stimuli; there were no significant difference among treatments for other properties (Table 1). Number of pods in shrub: As shown in Table 1, there was significant difference among treatments at 1% of probability level. The greatest number of pods was in those plants which treated with Kadostim 3000 ppm (n=15), while the least was in control (n=7). Also, there was no significant difference among Kadostim 3000 ppm with Humiforte 3000 ppm (n= 13.66), F 3000 ppm (n= 13.33) (Table 2).

Number of flowers in shrub: Number of flowers in shrub affected by chemicals and growth stimuli significantly (P <0.05) (table 1). The maximum number of flowers was in Kadostim 3000 ppm (n= 16.33), while the least number was in control (n= 8.33) (Table 2). Yield in shrub: There was significant difference among treatments for yield of broad bean in shrub (P<0.05). Highest yield was seen in Humiforte 1500 ppm (74.33 g), but it was lowest in control (66 g) (Table 2). Total Yield: yield of broad bean affected by chemical and biostimulants significantly (P<0.05). The highest yield was in broad bean which treated with Humiforte 3000 ppm (2.04 kg/m2), while it was lowest in control (1.67 kg/m2) (Table 2).

Table 1- Analysis of variance (Mean of squares) of effects of chemical fertilizers and biostimulants on broad bean properties
Plant height (cm) Yield/ shrub (g) Pods length Flower/shru b Pods/shrub Seeds/pod Weight of single pod (g) 100-seeds weight (g) Yield/ m2 (kg)

S.O.V

DF

Rep 2 2.27 ns 0.37ns 0.12ns 10.09ns 0.84ns 221.18ns ** ns ns Treatments 10 16.07 1.87 0.75 15.66* 2.49ns 96.53 ns Error 20 3.77 7.42 0.42 5.55 1.11 518.44 cv 17.51 17.8 12.59 19.64 9.57 13.72 ** and *: significant at 1% and 5% of probability level, ns: not significant

24.93ns 23.49* 8.87 4.22

0.001ns 0.035* 0.01 6.13

39.68ns 18.5ns 24.97 8.62

Table 2- Mean comparison of broad bean properties treated with chemical fertilizers and biostimulants
Plant height (cm) Weight of single pod (g) Yield/ shrub (g) Flower/shrub Pods length Pods/shrub 1000-seeds weight (g) Seeds/pod Total Yield 2 (kg/m )

treatments

control H 1500ppm H 3000 ppm F 1500 ppm F 3000 ppm K 1500 ppm K 3000 ppm NPK15 1500ppm NPK15 3000 ppm NPK20 1500 ppm NPK20 3000 ppm

7e 12.66 abc 13.66 ab 11.66 bc 13.33 abc 10 cde 15 a 11 bcd 10 cde 10.33 cd 8.33 de

15.66 a 16 a 16.16a 14.33 a 15.66 a 14.5 a 16.33 a 15.16 a 14.36 a 14.33 a 15.83 a

4.66 ab 5.33 abcd 5 ab 4.66 ab 5.66 a 4.33 b 5.66 a 5.66 a 5.33 ab 5.66 a 4.66 ab

8.33d 12.33abdc 11.33dc 11.66bcd 11.66bcd 15.66ab 16.33a 10.66cd 10.66cd 10.66cd 12.66abc

11.33 abc 12 ab 10 c 10 c 11.33 abc 10.66 bc 12.66 a 10.66 bc 12 ab 10 c 10.66 bc

169.67 a 158 a 167.67 a 171 a 171.67 a 161 a 156.33 a 171 a 168.67 a 169 a 161 a

66 e 74.33 a 73.66 ab 73.33 abc 72.33 abcd 70 abcd 72 abcd 68.66 bcde 67.33 de 69.33 abcde 68.33 cde

1.67 e 1.86 abcd 2.04 a 1.94 abc 1.8 cd 1.92 abc 2.01 ab 1.8 cd 1.97 abc 1.86 abcd 1.82 bcd

62.33 a 58 a 55.5 a 56.16 a 55.66 a 54.83 a 58.5 a 60.5 a 58.33 a 56.5 a 61 a

In each column, means with similar letter do not differ significantly according to LSD Test (P < 0.05) H: Humiforte, F: Fosnutren, K: Kadostim

DISCUSSION Results of this study indicated that application of biostimulants were effective in improvement of yield in broad bean significantly (P<0.05) (Table 1). Gawronaka (2008) pointed the ability of biostimulants on biochemical processes in plant and soil and finally growth and improvements of plants. So, it seems that application of the biostimulants is a promising method in improvement of yield in broad bean. Results of this experiment indicated that the biostimulants were more effective than chemicals for increase of yield and its components (Table 2). Maybe the amino acids which are in biostimulants are responsible for these increases. Higher mRNA transcription up to 2.5 fold, activation of reproductive growth- involved hormones, production of carbohydrates, higher absorption and element transition, higher protein in plants caused improvement of yield and related parameters in plants in environmental stresses (Thomas et al., 2009; Gawronaka 2008). Results of this experiment indicated that application of K 3000 ppm, resulted the maximum number of pods and flower in bush (Table 2). Our results supported the works of Anonymous (2008) who reported the improvement of number of inflorescence in branch and number of flower in inflorescence in olive by application of Kadostim. Also, the highest yield was in those which treated with H 3000 ppm in comparison with control (Table 2). It seems that combination of free amino acids, oligo peptids and NPK, which presented in Humiforte caused increase in yield. Also, the NPK presented in H resulted in higher productivity and soil structure improvement which affected plant yield. These results are in agreement with Slawik (2005), investigating effects of Humiforte, Kadostim, Fosnutren on Picea abies (L.) Karst. Also, similar results

were obtained by other scholars (Vogtmann et al., 1993; Li et al., 2000; Sabirov et al., 2003; Yildirim 2007). According to this experiment, application of chemicals like NPK fertilizers was not much effective in improvement of yield, or at least fewer than biostimulants (Table 2). Amino acids which presented in biostimulants have important roll in biosynthesis of harmonic and metabolic second compounds. Also, availability to nutrients is very essential during growth. If plant occurred to limitation for nutrient absorption, it faced to disorders so that implementation of soil with required fertilizers could not compensate its limitation. While absorbing biostimulants, plant could prepare its essential needs without any yield losses (Gawronaka 2008). Finally, results of this experiment suggest application of biostimulants like Humiforte, Fosnutren and Kadostim for plant higher yield and achieving environmentally friendly sustainable agriculture.

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