Abstract
Arbuscular mycorrhizae (AM) are one of the important symbiotic micro-organisms that provide a primary natural pathway for soil/plant nutrient transfer. The prevalence of AM on Reddish Brown Earth soils in the dry zone was determined under three agronomic management regimes: least-, moderate- and well-managed at Kiralogama, Puliyankulama, and Medawachchiya, respectively, in the Anuradhapura District. Arbuscular mycorrhizae interactions were evaluated with varieties each; sesame (Sesamum indicum L.), bitter gourd (Momordica charantia L.), cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L) Walp.), chilli pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) and tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.), and locally-common four weed/non-crop species; akmella (Synedrella nodiflora (L.) Gaertn.), balathana (Eleusine indica (L.) Gaertn.), kurakkan (Eleusine coracana (L.) Gaertn.), and wal-rubber (Euphorbia heterophylla L.) in pot experiments. Rhizosphere soils at the well-managed Medawachchiya site recorded the highest number of average live (1312) and dead (2637) spores per 100 g of soil retained on 125 μm sieve compared to the lowest live (459) spores at the least-managed site at Kiralogama. At both Kiralogama and Puliyankulama, live spore counts significantly increased with the progress of Maha rainy season. Increases in plant P and Zn concentrations showed strong positive correlations with AM colonisation. Significant differences of both AM colonisation and spore counts were observed in pot experiments depending on the weed/non-crop species and the variety of crops. Akmella (51.2 %), bitter gourd (var. Black - 69.1 %), Sesame (var. Mali - 76.7 %) and wal-rubber (76.8 %) were associated with high levels of AM colonisation as well as soil spore counts.
Highlights
Conclusions affinity with Arbuscular mycorrhizae (AM) can be usefully deployed in the integrated nutrient management of Dry zone (DZ) agricultural production
Sesame and Bitter gourd could be utilized during the growing season or just prior to leaving the land fallow as a means to enhance AM populations
Wal rubber and akmella could be promoted during periods of fallow to help sustain AM populations for the upcoming growing season, providing a potentially cost-effective means of inoculating fields with beneficial AM and reduce dependence on chemical fertilizers at least in some proportion
Summary
Mali - 76.7 %) and wal-rubber (76.8 %) were associated with high levels of AM colonisation as well as soil spore counts. Increased nutrient uptake is a consequence of higher soil volume exploration by the mycorrhizal roots via fungal extra-radical hyphae that extend into the soil where they increase the mobilization of poorly mobile soil nutrients like phosphorus (P) and zinc (Zn) (Mackay et al 2017). The AM associations increase plant pathways, fundamentally the nutrients resistance to root and soil borne are taken up first by the microorganisms pathogens, and it has a positive effect on which deliver the nutrients directly to plants under drought conditions to the plant roots in exchange for fixed retain moisture around the root zone carbon
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