Evaluation of Biological and Chemical Fertilizers on Fertilizer Use Efficiency, Grain Yield and Yield Components of Sunflower

In order to comparision the effect of biological and chemical fertilizer on grain yield components and fertilizer  use efficiency in sunflower, this study was carried out in Markazi province in 2009. A factorial arrangement of treatment in a randomized complete block design with three replications was used. Treatments included inoculation with Nitroxin (N₀= Control, N₁= Inoculation), Inoculation with Barvar-2 (B₀= Control, B₁= Inoculation) and application of chemical fertilizer combination of nitrogen and phosphorus (C₀= N₀ + P₀, C₁= N₅₀ + P₂₅ , C₂= N₁₀₀ + P₅₀ , C₃= N₁₅₀ + P₇₅  kg.ha^-1). Each plot consisted of four rows, 6 m long with 60 cm between rows space and 21 cm between plants on the rows. In this study characteristics such as: plant height, head diameter, 1000 grain weight, number of grain per head, grain yield, harvest index, N and P use efficiency and chlorophyll index were assessed. Results indicated that the effect of Barvar-2 biological fertilizer on the harvest index and inoculation with Nitroxin on number of grain per head, grain yield, harvest index were significant. Chemical fertiliser combination of nitrogen and phosphorus on charecteritics such as: plant height, head diameter, 1000 grain weight, number of grain per head, grain yield, nitrogen use efficiency and chlorophyll index was significant, too. Among the different levels of combination application of chemical fertiliser, that 100 kg.ha^-1 nitrogen + 50 kg.ha^-1 phosphorus with average of grain yield equal 1603 kg.ha^-1 and 50 kg.ha^-1 nitrogen + 25 kg.ha^-1 phosphorus treatment, with average of grain yield equal 1283 kg.ha^-1 were significantly superior to the other treatments. Therefore, it seems that quantity and quality of crops yield increased by integrative using of different fertilizers.