Articles
THE EFFECT OF ARBUSCULAR MYCORRHIZAL FUNGI ON THE ESTABLISHMENT OF SOUR ORANGE (CITRUS AURANTIUM) UNDER DIFFERENT LEVELS OF PHOSPHORUS
Article number
984_8
Pages
103 – 108
Language
English
Abstract
The objective of this study was to evaluate the response of sour orange (Citrus aurantium L.) seedlings to inoculation with arbuscular mycorrhiza (AM) fungi under different phosphorus (P) fertilizer levels during transplant production.
Six months old seedlings of sour orange were obtained from a commercial nursery and inoculated or not inoculated (control) with a commercial AM inoculum (BioMycVital) in a pot trial in a plastic house.
Three P fertilizer levels were applied [15 (low), 45 (medium) and 90 (high) mg kg-1 soil] as NPK (18:18:5 + TE) or/and KH2PO4. Ten months after transplanting, the AM inoculation stimulated growth of sour orange seedlings regardless of P level.
Inoculation coupled with low and medium levels of P fertilizer enhanced the plant dry weight by 34.4 and 20.2% and stem diameter by 25.9 and 17.9% over the uninoculated plants, respectively.
However, the enhancement effect for these two growth parameters was insignificant in treatment of inoculation with high P fertilizer in comparison to uninoculated plants.
These results indicate that sour orange should be inoculated with AM fungi at nursery stage, with application of medium level of P.
Six months old seedlings of sour orange were obtained from a commercial nursery and inoculated or not inoculated (control) with a commercial AM inoculum (BioMycVital) in a pot trial in a plastic house.
Three P fertilizer levels were applied [15 (low), 45 (medium) and 90 (high) mg kg-1 soil] as NPK (18:18:5 + TE) or/and KH2PO4. Ten months after transplanting, the AM inoculation stimulated growth of sour orange seedlings regardless of P level.
Inoculation coupled with low and medium levels of P fertilizer enhanced the plant dry weight by 34.4 and 20.2% and stem diameter by 25.9 and 17.9% over the uninoculated plants, respectively.
However, the enhancement effect for these two growth parameters was insignificant in treatment of inoculation with high P fertilizer in comparison to uninoculated plants.
These results indicate that sour orange should be inoculated with AM fungi at nursery stage, with application of medium level of P.
Authors
G.N. Al-Karaki
Keywords
mycorrhizal dependency, inoculum, rootstock, biofertilizer
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