B N Reddy
Osmania University, India
Title: Title: Synergistic effects of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and rhizobium on plant growth, yield and resistance to charcoal rot of green gram [Vigna radiata (l.) wilczek]
Biography
Biography: B N Reddy
Abstract
Low cost biofertilizers for disease management options need to be optimized if yields are to be sustained and food security attained. In the present study, field experiments were conducted to investigate the synergistic eff ects of arbuscular mycorrhiza, Glomus constrictum, nitrogen fi xing bacteria, Rhizobium spp. and charcoal rot pathogen, Macrophomina phaseolina on green gram in relation to plant growth, nodulation, nutrient uptake, seed yield and infl uence on charcoal rot disease incidence. Th e pathogen inoculated plants reduced all plant responses monitored and were signifi cantly lower in uninoculated control plants. Glomus plus pathogen inoculated plants yielded greater plant dry weights, phosphorus, potassium content and seed yield followed by Rhizobium plus pathogen inoculated plants compared to only pathogen inoculated and control plants. The nodule number, dry weight, nitrogen content of the root nodules in Glomus plus Rhizobium treatments in the presence of pathogen were signifi cantly more compared to Rhizobium plus pathogen inoculated plants. In Glomus with pathogen treatments, the percentage root colonization was recorded to be 58.45%. Co-inoculation of two symbionts with pathogen enhanced root colonization ability to 80.64%. Inoculation of two symbionts in combination with the pathogen signifi cantly reduced charcoal rot disease incidence as compared to pathogen inoculated in combination with only one symbiont either Glomus or Rhizobium. However, the plants in the presence of Glomus and Rhizobium were more tolerant to fungal root pathogen, M. phaseolina. The results indicate that inoculation with two symbionts in combination is more beneficial in management of root rot pathogen in green gram.
