Mycorrhizal fungi Glomus spp. propagation in zeolite enriched with mycorrhiza helper bacteria for controlling nematode in coffee

Abstract

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) play a role in suppressing the nematode Pratylenchus coffeae. Mycorrhizal helper bacteria (MHB) can increase the effectiveness of AMF to control the diseases. The experimental purpose was to increase the spore population of AMF Glomus spp. in zeolite-based formulation inoculated with liquid consortia of Pseudomonas diminuta and Bacillus subtilis as MHB. The experimental design was a completely random design with six treatments consisted of 106, 107, 108, and 109 CFU/mL MHB liquid inoculants. The control treatments were water and 2% molasses. All treatments were replicated four times. A total of 300 mL/pot Liquid inoculant of MHB have been inoculated a three day before transplanting the maize seedling to the Zeolite inoculated with Glomus spp. in the pot. One month after MHB inoculation, Glomus formulation in Zeolite with different levels of MHB increased the degree of infection. Three months after MHB inoculation, spore content in Zeolite increased. The density of P. diminuta and B. subtilis in zeolite-based mycorrhizal inoculant increased at the end of the experiment. Liquid inoculant MHB contained 108 CFU/mL enhanced spora number fourth times compared to the control. This experiment suggests that P. diminuta and B. subtilis were effective to increase the spore density of AMF inoculant.