Effect of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi, Pressmud and Growth Regulator on Solanum Lycopersicum L

Abstract

A pot culture experiment was conducted in green house, using three combinations; AMF, Pressmud and indol acetic acid. The plants grown in pots were investigated in a randomized block design with three replications to evaluate the effects of Solanum lycopersicum L., (Var Vaibhav). Growth regulators significantly influenced various physiological and biochemical parameters. Plant growth and biomass was significantly increased to all the treatments of AMF, Pressmud and indol acetic acid treatment compared to noninoculated (control) plants. This was found to be superior in augmenting the growth and yield of tomato plants.

Headnote

Abstract: A pot culture experiment was conducted in green house, using three combinations; AMF, Pressmud and indol acetic acid. The plants grown in pots were investigated in a randomized block design with three replications to evaluate the effects of Solanum lycopersicum L., (Var Vaibhav). Growth regulators significantly influenced various physiological and biochemical parameters. Plant growth and biomass was significantly increased to all the treatments of AMF, Pressmud and indol acetic acid treatment compared to noninoculated (control) plants. This was found to be superior in augmenting the growth and yield of tomato plants.

Keywords: Pressmud, Indol Acetic Acid, Replications, Significantly, Tomato.

1. Introduction

The advantage of AM fungus, pressmud and growth regulator in crop productivity raises concern their survival and preservation in soil. The conservation of soil covers many aspects of agricultural/ Horticultural crop production and managements programmes. Some of concerns include preventing reduction of infection through excessive use of fertilizers. A considerable progress is being paid to explore of the dry press mud can be exploited for generation of energy as it contains higher percentage of combustibles (Gupta et al., 2011). Recently the major use of press mud in bio- composting when it is treated with the spent wash from the distillery (Padmanabhan et al, 1993). The arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus, Rhizophagus fasciculatus (Thaxter Senscu. Gerd.) Gerd. Trappe and Trichoderma spp, have been reported to reduce the infestation of nematodes in many crop plants (Windham et al., 1989; Sankaranarayanan and Rajeswari Sundara Babu, 1994 and Tonathan et al., 2000). The production of higher seed yield due to growth regulators may be attributed to the fact that plants treated with growth regulators remained physiologically more active to build up sufficient food reserves for developing flowers and seeds. Further, the beneficial effect on plant growth in presence of free living nitrogen fixing organisms was attributed to phyto-hormone production rather than or in addition to nitrogen fixation (Bagyaraj, 1990; Lakshman and Geeta patil, 2004; Lakshman et al., 2010). Hence, the present investigation was taken up studies to understand the compost with AM fungi and Indole acetic acid on biometric yield parameters of tomato plant.

2. Materials and Methods

2.1 Soil and Plant Material

The soil physical and chemical characteristic used for pot experiments were estimated as per Jackson (1973). The soil: sand (3:1 v/v) mixture was filled into 17.5 cm diameter pots containing 3 kg of soil. The seeds of Solanum lycopersicum L., (Var Vaibhav) were collected from Namdhari seed company Bangalore India. Seeds were surface sterilized by treating with 2% sodium hypochlorite for 2-3 min before sowing and after germination uniform seedlings were made one per pot.

2.3 Inoculum

The Am fungal spores Rhizophagus fasciculatus (Thax.) Walker & Schußler were maintained for 12 weeks in green house conditions using Jowar (Sorghum vulgare L) at host for mass multiplication in 30×15 cm diameter pots containing sterilized sand soil mix (1:1 v/v) and bio-compost were prepared by mixing Pressmud and water in the ratio of 1:2 were used for composting.

2.4 Pot Experimental Setup

The experimental pots amended with ten grams of the inoculum consisted of roots and soil contained 115-172 chlamydospores, as single inoculated and again were treated with 2% of IAA hormone the treatments given as follows:

1. Control

2. Rhizophagus fasciculatus (Thax.)Walker&Schußler

3. Pressmud

4. IAA

5. Rf + Pressmud+ IAA

The plants were uprooted periodically at 30, 60 and 90 days. The parameters like root length, fresh weight of root, dry weight of root, fresh weight of shoot, dry weight of shoot, percentage root colonization, spore number and number of leaves, were recorded. The AM fungal spores were counted after removing them from the soil by wet sieving and decanting (Gerdemann and Nicolson 1963). The percentage of mycorrhizal infection was evaluated microscopically followed by clearing of roots in 10% KOH, neutralized in 2% HCL and stained with 0.05% trypan blue in lactophenol according to method described by (Phillips and Hyman 1970). The following formula was used to calculate the root colonization (Giovanneti, Mosse 1980).

(ProQuest: ... denotes formula omitted.)

2.5 Statistical Analysis

Data were subjected to analysis of variance and mean values were compared using the Duncan's multiple range test (At the 0.05 level), as recommended (Snedecor, and Cochran, 1980).

3. Results and Discussion

The inoculation of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and pressmud with Indole acetic acid augmented plant growth (Figure 1), the growth parameters were recorded in the experimental variety. The results of Solanum Lycopersicum L., (Var. Vaibhav) are described below.

The table (1) reveals that after 30 days growth, inoculation with Rhizophagus fasciculatus, pressmud and IAA resulted significant increase on shoot length (8.10cm), fresh (36.00g) and dry weight of root (0.81g), number of leaves (20.33), root colonization (41.00%), spore number (51.00) in 50g of soil, the number of flowers and fruits were not recorded. After 60 days in the treatment amendment pressmud, IAA and inoculation with Rhizophagus fasciculatus there was significantly higher records of shoot length (30.11cm), fresh (52.14) and dry weight of shoot (7.74g), root length (8.51cm), fresh (10.90g) and dry weight of root (3.32g), number of leaves (77.00), number of flowers (9.00), number of fruits (3.00), root colonization (45.00%), spore number (51.00), stem diameter (2.12). The plant growth after days responded significantly with the amendment of pressmud, IAA and inoculation of Rhizophagus fasciculatus resulted higher in shoot length (45.08cm), fresh (89.19g) and dry weight of shoot (13.22g), root length (14.06cm), fresh (17.53g) and dry weight of root (5.41g), number of leaves (84.66), number of flowers (2.66), number of fruits (4.00), root colonization (85.66%), spore number (86.00) in 50g soil compared control (Table 1). The dry weight of shoot and rot colonization is shown in figure (2).

Majority of research work has been directed at expensive pure substrates to a much lesser quantity of solid waste (Hawkes et al., 2002). Pressmud from the sugar mills is a very useful source of fertilizer as well as some chemicals. These results are in line with the work carried out by other researchers (Nehra and Hooda, 2002; Naik and Rao, 2004), who reported increased plant height in lentil crop due to pressmud application. Mycorrhizae are considered essential for growth and survival of many plant species in disturbed and unproductive soils (Raman and Mahadevan, 1996; Bothe et al., 2001). Mycorrhizal fungi provide direct link between soil and roots and ameliorate heavy metal toxicity (Leyvel et al., 1997). The combined treatments of Rhizophagus fasciculatus along with pressmud were synergistic in reducing the nematode infestation and enhancing plant growth and yield. Earlier studies proved the efficacy of pressmud in containing the nematode infestation in banana (Uonathan et al., 1999). A similar result was reported (Rakkiyappan et al., 2000). The results of the present studies clearly brought out the beneficial effect of inoculation with AM fungi, pressmud and indole acetic acid to Vaibhav variety.

Conclusion

The findings of the present study reinforce the inoculation of Rhizophagus fasciculatus, pressmud along with hormone were synergistic effect on Solanum lycopersicum L., (Var. Vaibhav) and enhancing plant growth and yield compared to non-inoculated control. Significant increase in root length, fresh weight of root, dry weight of root, fresh weight of shoot, dry weight of shoot, percentage root colonization, spore number and number of leaves.

Acknowledgement

Author's are indebted to UGC for financial assistance under the scheme RFSMS fellowship.

References

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