How do AMF-inoculation and supplemental irrigation affect the productivity of rainfed yellow sweet clover in agrisilviculture systems?

Abstract

ABSTRACTYellow sweet clover (Melilotus officinalis L.) was assessed for its yield in an agri-silvicultural model of the plum (Prunus domestica (L.) cv. Opal). The treatments included two sun light exposures (morning light and afternoon light) as main plots and species of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) (Funneliformis mosseae, Rhizophagus irregularis and no-AMF-inoculated control) as subplots. The treatments were separately arranged for two irrigations (rainfed and supplemental irrigation) during 2016–2017. In irrigated and AMF-inoculated plants, a significant increase was observed in the performance of yellow sweet clover (dry weight and biological yield), seed nutrients (phosphorus and potassium) and weight of aerial parts in morning light conditions as much as rainfed conditions, identically for two species of fungi. In both rainfed and supplemental irrigations, the biological yield of F. mosseae inoculated plants increased by up to 23%. In supplemental irrigation, the maximum growth of plant height and relative water content were obtained from AMF-inoculated plants (R. irregularis) in afternoon light area as much as rainfed condition. In conclusion, the identical beneficial effects of mycorrhizal fungi species were enhanced by single supplemental irrigation. However, plant performance, including the quality and quantity of yield, was superior in the morning light part of each treatment.