Effects of application of olive mill by-products on chickpea yield and their symbiosis with mycorrhizal fungi under arid conditions

Abstract

This study investigated the effects of soil amendment with olive mill by-products (Jift) on growthof chickpea and their symbiosis with Vesicular arbascular (VA) fungi. A split plot design with threereplications was used, in which soil treatments (methyl bromide fumigated, fungicide, and untreatedcontrol) were assigned to main plots and soil-Jift mixtures(Jift: Soil; 0:10, 1:9, 2:8, 3:7, and 4:6) tosub plots . Results indicated that the highest seed yield (2295 kg ha-1) was attained under untreatedcontrol followed by those which treated with fungicide (2260 kg ha-1) and methyl bromide (2031 kgha-1). When Jift was considered as main factor, seed yield was found to be increased as Jift level wasincreased in soil mixtures. However, the greatest Jift level at the rate of 3:7 produced insignificantincrease of seed and over the yields produced at the rate of 2:8. Phosphorus content per plant wassenior under untreated control plots than under methyl bromide and fungicide treatments. There was apropensity of improved phosphorus content along with increasing Jift level in soil mixtures. On theother hand, the highest Jift level (3:7) caused phosphorus content to be somewhat decreasedcompared to Jift at the rate of 2:8, under untreated control and methyl bromide treatment.