Biodegradability and Nitrogen Use Efficiency of Crotonaldehyde Diurea in Wheat

A field experiment was conducted to test the efficacy of Rhodococcus spp for biodegradability of crotonaldehyde diurea and its N use efficiency in wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.)”at different critical growth stages and five treatments of nitrogen. The soil sample was collected and attempted to isolate the Rhodococcus spp. on selective medium. The Rhodococcus spp. showed profuse growth in a medium containing 0.1 % urea and slightly less profuse growth on the medium containing 0.1 % CDU as a sole nitrogen source. The CDU contained ammonical and nitrate nitrogen 19.6 and 13.0 %, respectively. It thus appeared that the soil microorganism Rhodococcus spp . can utilize the CDU probably suggesting that microorganism could have enzymatic activity which can degrade CDU. The activity of nitrate assimilating enzyme was assayed from the leaf tissues at four critical stages showed that the treatment T 5 (100 % CDU) recorded highest activities of  NR, NiR, and GS, high nitrogen up take, high NUE and higher grain yield. Thus it appeared that Crotonaldehyde Diurea (CDU) is biodegradable by the Rhodococcus spp . present in the soil rhizosphere and applied once at the time of sowing.