Soil Enzyme Activity and Nutrient Uptake as Influenced by Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi in Tobacco Rhizosphere under Parasitic Weed Stress Condition

Abstract

The present study assessed the effect of Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi on nutrient uptake and soil enzyme activity of tobacco rhizosphere under parasitic weed stress condition. The experiment was carried out in Orobanche infested soils of Belagavi district during 2018-19. During the investigation different inoculation methods of Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi were screened for their ability to improve the nutrient uptake and soil enzyme activity i.e. (pre inoculation of nursery seedlings; direct soil application and the combination of both). The present experimental results revealed that soil enzyme activities like dehydrogenase, phosphates and urease activity was highest in treatments received planting of pre colonized tobacco seedling with STD AMF along with soil application at the time of planting and second highest was recorded in the treatment received pre colonized UASDAMFT plus soil application. Furthermore nutrient uptake like N, P, K and micronutrients were found to be the highest in the plots received mycorrhization compare to the rhizosphere of non mycorrhized plants. In mycorrhizosphere the activity of mycorrhizal fungi and other beneficial microorganisms could be a source for different soil enzyme needed for biochemical reaction in the plant rhizosphere.