Kapulnik, Y., Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology, Faculty of Agriculture, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, 76100, Israel
Okon, Y., Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology, Faculty of Agriculture, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, 76100, Israel
Henis, Y., Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology, Faculty of Agriculture, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, 76100, Israel

Eight commercial Israeli spring wheat cultivars (six Triticum aestivum and two T. turgidum) grown with 40 and 120 kg N/ha were tested for responses to inoculation with Azospirillum brasilense. At the low level of N fertilization (40 kg/ha), five cultivars showed significant increases in plant dry weight measured at the milky ripe stage; however, by maturation only the cultivar "Miriam" showed a significant increase in grain yield. Two cultivars, which had shown a positive inoculation effect at the earlier stages, had a significant decrease in grain yield. No significant effect of inoculation was found at the high N level. To confirm those results, four wheat (T. aestivum) cultivars were tested separately over 4 years in 4 different locations under varying N levels. Only Miriam showed a consistently positive effect of Azospirillum inoculation on grain yield. Inoculation increased the number of roots per plant on Miriam compared with uninoculated plants. This effect was found at all N levels. Nutrient (N, P and K) accumulation and number of fertile tillers per unit area were also enhanced by Azospirillum, but these parameters were greatly affected by the level of applied N. It is suggested that the positive response of the spring wheat cultivar "Miriam" to Azospirillum inoculation is due to its capacity to escape water stresses at the end of the growth season. © 1987 Springer-Verlag.