Introduction
Material and Methods
Experimental Soil and Plant Material
pH(water) | Total nitrogen (%) | Organic carbon (%) | Available phosphorus (µg/g soil) | ECC (cmol (+) kg−1 soil) | Exchanges cations contents (cmol (+) kg−1 soil) | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Calcium | Potash | Magnesium | |||||
6.3 | 0.09 | 0.97 | 10.3 | 0.43 | 6.38 | 0.52 | 1.9 |
AMF Inoculum Production
Chemical Fertilizers
Experimental Design
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Control: unfertilized and un-inoculated
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30 kg of P2O5 ha−1, without AMF inoculum
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60 kg of P2O5 ha−1, without AMF inoculum
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100 g AMF inoculum
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30 kg of P2O5 ha−1, 100 g AMF inoculum
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60 kg of P2O5 ha−1, 100 g AMF inoculum.
Measurements and Data Analysis
Results
Vegetative Growth Parameters and Root Colonization by AMF
Treatments | Days before flowering | Final plant height (cm) | 60 days after sowing | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Number of leaves plant−1 | Leaves chlorophyll content (SPAD units) | Root colonization frequency (%) | |||
Mycorrhizal inoculum (AMF) | |||||
Without AMF | 73 ± 14 a | 149 ± 43 a | 10 ± 2 a | 41 ± 10 a | 40 ± 20 b |
With AMF | 70 ± 13 a | 158 ± 44 a | 10 ± 2 a | 43 ± 8 a | 57 ± 25 a |
Phosphorus (kg P2O5) | |||||
0 kg P2O5 ha−1 | 91 ± 3 A | 102 ± 15 C | 7 ± 1 B | 31 ± 5 B | 49 ± 27 AB |
30 kg P2O5 ha−1 | 63 ± 1 B | 169 ± 22 B | 11 ± 1 A | 47 ± 4 A | 31 ± 18 B |
60 kg P2O5 ha−1 | 61 ± 2 B | 191 ± 21 A | 11 ± 1 A | 47 ± 4 A | 65 ± 11 A |
AMF × Phosphorus | |||||
Without AMF 0 kg P2O5 ha−1 | 93 ± 0 a | 105 ± 3 b | 7 ± 0 b | 28 ± 3 b | 25 ± 11 b |
Without AMF30 kg P2O5 ha−1 | 63 ± 0 b | 171 ± 27 a | 11 ± 1 a | 46 ± 3 a | 32 ± 13 b |
Without AMF 60 kg P2O5 ha−1 | 63 ± 0 b | 197 ± 19 a | 12 ± 1 a | 46 ± 4 a | 63 ± 8 a |
With AMF 0 kg P2O5 ha−1 | 88 ± 0 a | 98 ± 21 b | 7 ± 1 b | 34 ± 5 b | 73 ± 8 a |
With AMF 30 kg P2O5 ha−1 | 62 ± 0 b | 166 ± 20 a | 12 ± 1 a | 47 ± 5 a | 30 ± 23 b |
With AMF 60 kg P2O5 ha−1 | 59 ± 0 b | 184 ± 23 a | 11 ± 1 a | 47 ± 5 a | 68 ± 13 a |
Treatments | AMF structures | ||
---|---|---|---|
Hyphae | Vesicles | Arbuscles | |
Without AMF 0 kg P2O5 ha−1 | ++ | − | − |
Without AMF30 kg P2O5 ha−1 | ++++ | − | − |
Without AMF 60 kg P2O5 ha−1 | ++++ | − | − |
With AMF 0 kg P2O5 ha−1 | ++++ | + | + |
With AMF 30 kg P2O5 ha−1 | ++++ | + | − |
With AMF 60 kg P2O5 ha−1 | ++++ | − | − |
Yield Parameters
Treatments | Cob insertion height (cm) | Cob weight (g) | Cob length (cm) | Cob diameter (mm) | Seed raw number | Grain weight (g) | Yield of grains tons/hectare | Grain phosphorus content (mg of phosphorus g−1) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Mycorrhizal inoculum | ||||||||
Without AMF | 70 ± 35a | 76 ± 82a | 11 ± 4a | 33 ± 15a | 13 ± 1a | 86 ± 33a | 3.0 ± 2.6a | 0.70 ± 0a |
With AMF | 67 ± 27a | 89 ± 60a | 11 ± 4a | 36 ± 11a | 10 ± 3b | 71 ± 48a | 3.7 ± 2.5a | 0.97 ± 0a |
Phosphorus (kg P2O5) | ||||||||
0 kg P2O5 ha−1 | 35 ± 13C | 9 ± 6C | 6 ± 1C | 18 ± 9B | 7 ± 0B | 12 ± 1C | 0.3 ± 0.3C | 0.71 ± 0A |
30 kg P2O5 ha−1 | 76 ± 19B | 93 ± 23B | 12 ± 2B | 41 ± 3A | 12 ± 3A | 71 ± 21B | 3.7 ± 1.1B | 0.72 ± 0A |
60 kg P2O5 ha−1 | 96 ± 18A | 146 ± 22A | 15 ± 3A | 45 ± 2A | 13 ± 1A | 116 ± 17A | 6.1 ± 0.9A | 0.73 ± 0A |
AMF × Phosphorus | ||||||||
Without AMF 0 kg P2O5 ha−1 | 30 ± 3b | 4 ± 2c | 6 ± 1b | 12 ± 4c | – | – | – | – |
Without AMF30 kg P2O5 ha−1 | 78 ± 26a | 79 ± 22b | 13 ± 2a | 42 ± 2a | 13 ± 1a | 59 ± 20b | 3.1 ± 1.0b | 0.69 ± 0b |
Without AMF 60 kg P2O5 ha−1 | 103 ± 12a | 145 ± 19a | 15 ± 2a | 44 ± 2a | 13 ± 1a | 114 ± 15a | 6.0 ± 0.7a | 0.71 ± 0b |
With AMF 0 kg P2O5 ha−1 | 40 ± 17b | 13 ± 6c | 7 ± 1b | 24 ± 8b | 7 ± 0b | 12 ± 1c | 0.6 ± 0.0c | 1.42 ± 0a |
With AMF 30 kg P2O5 ha−1 | 73 ± 12a | 107 ± 16b | 12 ± 1a | 40 ± 4a | 11 ± 4a | 83 ± 15b | 4.4 ± 0.8b | 0.74 ± 1b |
With AMF 60 kg P2O5 ha−1 | 89 ± 23a | 146 ± 26a | 15 ± 3a | 45 ± 3a | 13 ± 1a | 118 ± 20a | 6.2 ± 1.0a | 0.75 ± 0b |