Impact of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi with Trichoderma viride and Pseudomonas fluorescens on Growth Enhancement of Genetically Modified Bt Cotton (Bacillus thuringiensis)

Abstract

The present investigation was undertaken to find out efficient strains of Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi (Funneliformis mosseae and Acaulospora laevis) alone or in combinations with Pseudomonas fluorescens and Trichoderma viride on growth parameters of Bt cotton (Bacillus thuringiensis) var. NCS-108 (SUNNY). All inoculated seedlings showed significant biomass production than control seedlings. Triple inoculation of A. laevis + T. viride + P. fluorescens showed maximum increment in plant height, fresh and dry root weight, root length, total chlorophyll content, shoot phosphorus content, root phosphorus content, both acidic, and alkaline phosphatase activity, whereas fresh and dry shoot weight, leaf area, AM spore number, and stomatal conductance were found maximum in the combination F. mosseae + A. laevis + T. viride. Maximum fiber yield was found in the combination of F. mosseae + A. laevis + T. viride + P. fluorescens. These results indicate that triple inoculation of A. laevis + T. viride + P. fluorescens followed by the combination F. mosseae + A. laevis + T. viride showed significant response for inoculating Bt cotton in order to get significant growth and field with maximum yield.