**Author details**

in this study, also did not verify influence of inoculation alone, on yield of irrigated wheat crop. However, Santa et al. [37] found significant effects on the wheat yield (average increase of 23.9% compared to the control) in the treatment inoculated with *A*. *brasilense*, both with and without the addition of nitrogen fertilization. While Piccinin et al. [38] suggested that the use of N can be reduced by up to 50% when inoculation with *A*. *brasilense* is performed. Zorita and Caniggia [39] also reported significant increases on grain yield after inoculation of *A*. *brasilense* on wheat seeds. Hungria [12] also observed a mean increase in grain yield of 31% for wheat. However, it is noteworthy that the affinity of cultivar with the strains of this bacterium diazotrophic may vary and determine the success or failure of inoculation with *A*.

Agronomic efficiency was negatively affected by the increase of N rates (**Table 4**), with adjustment to decreasing linear function due to higher losses of N in the soil (**Figure 5**), as we know, the higher the dose, the greater will be the loss. Increases in the efficiency of nitrogen fertilization associated with inoculation with *A*. *brasilense* were reported by Galindo et al. [21] but in the corn crop in the Brazilian Cerrado. According to Dobbelaere et al. [19], positive responses to inoculation with *A*. *brasilense* are obtained even when the crops are grown in soils with high N content

tion but also mainly depending on the production of phytohormones growth promoters such as the cytokinin, gibberellin, and indoleacetic acid. This fact may possibly has favored root development of wheat, which according to Novakowiski et al. [40] improved the utilization efficiency of the residual N, uptake of water, and other nutrients directly reflected in a higher agronomic efficiency of the plant with *A*. *brasilense* inoculation as found in the present study for grain yield.

Inoculation with *A*. *brasilense* increased concentrations of Ca, Mg, Mn, and Zn in grain and concentrations of N and S in wheat straw. This bacterium decreases the straw concentration

biological fixa-

available, which indicates that the plant responses occur not only due to the N2

*brasilense*.

110 Wheat Improvement, Management and Utilization

**4. Conclusion**

of P, but it increases grain concentration of P.

**Figure 5.** Agronomic efficiency (EA) of wheat in regard to nitrogen rate.

Marcelo Carvalho Minhoto Teixeira Filho\*, Fernando Shintate Galindo, Salatiér Buzetti and José Mateus Kondo Santini

\*Address all correspondence to: mcmteixeirafilho@agr.feis.unesp.br

Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP) – Campus de Ilha Solteira, São Paulo, Brazil
