ROLE OF ARBUSCULAR MYCORRHIZAL FUNGI ON GROWTH AND NUTRIENT UPTAKE OF SOME VEGETABLE CROPS.

Abstract

The present expenment was conducted in the net house of the Department of Plant Pathology, Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka dunng the penod from May 2006 10 DecelDber 2006 with a view to study the role of Arbusc:ular Mycorrhizal (AM) fungi on growth and nutrient uptake of some vegetable crops A positive growth response to AM was observed in all the selected vegetables The seedling emergence, plant height, shoot length and root length of mycorrhiza inoculated vegetables were companatively higher than that of uninoculated control. The mycorrhizal Inoculation suppressed root rot, damping off and leaf spot disease of Spinadl (SpintlCitJ o/eracea L.) and White gourd (Cucurbita vulgaris). The mycorrhiza inoculated plants showed more leaves, branches, early flowering and fruiting in comparison to uninoculated control. Mycorrhizal root colonization differed among the crops ranging from 18.65 to 53.48% and mycorrhizal dependency varied from 18.57 to 36.36%. Increased nutrient (N, P, K, Fe and Zn) uptake was recorded WIth the inoculated plants. Among the inoculated vegetables, comparatively higher N. P and K uptake was observed in Spinach, Water spinadl (KaImishak) and Cucumber where as Zn and Fe uptake was found higher m Spinach and in Cucumber. respectively.