Interactions between Mycorrhizal Fungi, Tea Wastes, and Algal Biomass Affecting the Microbial Community, Soil Structure, and Alleviating of Salinity Stress in Corn Yield (Zea mays L.)

Abstract

Soil salinity has an adverse impact on soil biological properties and growth of corn plant, majorly in arid and semi-arid lands. A mesocosm experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of mycorrhizal fungi (M) (Glomus mosseae), tea wastes (T), algal dried biomass (A), and their combinations on soil respiration, total bacteria, total fungi, soil mean weight diameter (MWD), and corn yield (Zeamays L.). under saline and non-saline soils. Results showed that M, T, and A treatments increased significantly CO2 release compared to the control. Whereas, M significantly decreased CO2 release compared to T and A treatments. In non-saline soil, M increased greatly MWD, bacterial and fungal counts, and infection rate. Whereas, the opposite was true in the saline soil; neither M nor T improved bacterial communities and MWD. However, in the saline soil, M + T was highly efficient in improving MWD, SOC, bacterial and fungal counts, infection rate, and corn grain yield. It can be suggested that the inoculation of mycorrhizal fungi with tea wastes in saline soils considered an important strategy that increases the toleration of the corn plant to salinity by improving soil microbial activity, MWD, SOC, infection rate, and total grain yield.