TITLE:
Effect of Arbuscular Mycorrhiza Fungal Inoculation with Compost on Yield and P Uptake of Wheat in Alkaline Calcareous Soil
AUTHORS:
Bismillah Jan, Muhammad Sharif, Farmanullah Khan, Jehan Bakht
KEYWORDS:
AMF Inoculation, Compost, Yield, Phosphorus Uptake, Wheat Crop and Alkaline, Calcareous Soil
JOURNAL NAME:
American Journal of Plant Sciences,
Vol.5 No.13,
June
24,
2014
ABSTRACT: An experiment was conducted in
pots under natural conditions in alkaline calcareous soil to determine wheat (Triticum aestivum L. c.v. Atta Habib)
yield and P uptake as influenced by Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF)
inoculation with compost prepared from fresh animal dung and rock phosphate.
Data indicated that wheat grain, shoot and roots yields increased significantly
(P ≤ 0.05) by inoculation of commercial mycorrhiza (AMF-II) and half dose of
compost. Grain yield increased by 43% and 37%, shoot by 43% and 39% and roots
yield by 51% and 45% over control of N and K fertilizers. Straw yield was
maximum as 5075 kg·ha-1 in the treatment of AMF-II inoculation with full dose of compost,
which was significantly (P ≤ 0.05) higher as 44% and 40% over control of N and
K fertilizers. Maximum and significantly (P ≤ 0.05) higher plant N and P uptake
by wheat were observed in the treatment inoculated by indigenous mycorrhiza
(AMF-I) with full dose of compost followed by the inoculation of AMF-II with
full dose of compost and SSP treatment. Maximum and significantly (P ≤ 0.05)
increased soil spores’ density of AMF by 26 spores per 20 g soil with maximum
roots infection intensity in wheat were observed by the inoculation of AMF-I
with full dose of compost. The AMF-II is slightly better than AMF-I regarding
grain, shoot and root yield, whereas AMF-I is better in N, P uptake, soil spore
density and their root infection intensity than AMF-II. Alone inoculation and
compost application increase the yield and nutrients uptake but the highest
improvement was observed with inoculation of AMF with compost. Results suggest
that inoculation of AMF with compost has potential to improve wheat yields and
plants’ P uptake under given soil conditions.