The Interaction Effect between Mycorrhiza (Glomus Mosseae), Organic and Mineral Fertilizers on Growth, Yield of Cauliflower (Brassica Oleracea) and Some Desert Soil Characteristics

Abstract

The current study aimed to evaluate the effect of adding Mycorrhiza, local organic fertilizer, and biochar (seek) singly or in combination on some properties of desert soils from the Karbala governorate. Coupled with the growth and yield of cauliflower (Brassica Oleracea) under different levels of mineral fertilization. A Biological experiment was carried out to achieve the objectives of the study by placing 20 kg of desert soil that was transported from the Holy Karbala Governorate from the site of Imam Hussein Agricultural City. This soil was placed in environmentally friendly bags made of linen cloth 50 cm in diameter and 35 cm in height. The biological experiment included three factors: organic fertilizer (local organic fertilizer, biochar (Seek) and without adding organic fertilizer) and biofertilizer (inoculation with mycorrhiza and without mycorrhiza). On the other hand, the third factor represents mineral fertilizer addition at three levels (100%, 50%, and 0 %) of the fertilizer recommendation for cauliflower. Generally, 16 g of biochar (Seek) for every 20 kg of soil was added by mixing to 15 cm of depth from the soil surface, while 500 g of local organic fertilizer was added in the same way. The results showed the superiority of adding Mycorrhiza in the availability of nitrogen and phosphorous in the soil after planting. It gives values of 92.00 mg N kg-1 soil and 9.18 mg p kg-1 soil in the inoculated soil compared to their concentration in the uninoculated soil, which amounted to 87.69 mg N kg-1 and 8.65 mg p kg-1 soil nitrogen and phosphorous, respectively. The results analysis showed also the superiority of adding a mixture of local organic fertilizer with biochar (Seek) in increasing the nitrogen availability in the soil. It gave 91.72 mg N kg-1 of soil compared to the treatment of adding seek alone and the control treatment, which gave values of 88.94 and 87.28 mg N kg -1soil, respectively.The study showed the positive and significant resultsof the triple interaction between the addition of mycorrhiza and the combination of organic fertilizer with the addition of 100% of the mineral fertilizer recommendation for cauliflower in increasing the concentration of available nitrogen in the soil, as it gave 101.00 mg N kg-1 soil compared to the control treatment, which gave 67.67 mg N kg-1soil. The addition of mycorrhiza contributed to an increase in the weights and curd diameters, the leaves dry weight and gave values of 711.1 g, 15.44 cm, 36.33 g compared to the control treatment for the same traits, which amounted to 562.4 g, 14.69 cm, and 27.08 g, respectively. Besides, the 100% addition of the recommendation resulted in higher values for leaves, curd diameters, and leaf dry weight to reach 697.9 g and 15.71 g respectively compared to not adding mineral fertilizer which gave values of 581.2 g, 14.08 cm, and 28.96 g respectively. Finally, the study findings showed the significant effect of adding combined bio-organic fertilizer in increasing the concentration of organic matter in the soil after planting, which amounted to 7.14 and 7.63 g.kg-1, compared to the control treatment, which gave 6.91 and 6.31 g. kg-1, respectively.