Amalgamation of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and phosphate solubilizing bacteria on growth and yield of Solanum lycopersicum L.

Abstract

In this research work the combination effect of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungus (Glomus fasciculatum) and Phosphobacteria (Bacillus megaterium) inoculation on % root colonization, AM fungal spore quantity, and Phosphobacterial populations in tomato (var PLR 2); Solanum lycopersicum L. rhizosphere soils was investigated in a pot culture experiment at different levels of phosphorus. A total of ten treatments were set up, Among them, G. fasciculatum and B. megaterium inoculated S. lycopersicum L. (tomato) recorded higher values than uninoculated plants. The root colonization percentage (84.52) and AM fungal spore number (129 100 g-1 soil) in the rhizosphere soil were the highest at 75 per cent phosphorous level followed by 50 per cent phosphorous (71.28, 124.00 spores of 100 g-1 soil) equally. The highest number of phosphobacterial populations (11.33 × 10-6 Cfu) was recorded by the co-inoculation of G. fasciculatum and B.megaterium at 75 % phosphorous levels.