Yield Performance and Leaf Nutrient Composition of Bambara Groundnut Under Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Inoculation in a Poultry Manure Amended Ultisol.

Abstract

Researchers are now targeting the possibility of sustainably producing crops without polluting the soil and groundwater through the integrated use of Poultry Manure (PM) and Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF). The present study was undertaken to investigate the yield response and leaf nutrient composition of Bambara groundnut under arbuscular mycorrhizal inoculation in poultry manure amended ultisol during the 2016 and 2017 cropping seasons. The study was a 4×5 factorial experiment consisting of four levels of poultry manure and four inoculums of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi plus the un-inoculated control and was laid out in a Randomized Complete Block design (RCBD) with three replications to give 20 treatment combinations. Sole applications of poultry manure and AMF inoculums significantly increased P, K, Ca and Mg contents in the leaves of Bambara groundnut over control plants in both years of study. Soil amended with 8 t ha-1 of poultry manure and at the same time inoculated with Gigaspora gigantea gave the highest pod yield in both years, while soil amended with 12 t ha-1 of PM and inoculated with Glomus clarum as well as soil amended with 8 t ha-1 of PM and inoculated with Gigaspora gigantea gave the highest seed yield. The results of this study showed that soil inoculated with Glomus clarum and Gigaspora gigantea and amended with 8 and 12 tons ha-1 of poultry manure in single or combination were more efficient and consistent in the enhancement of growth on marginal soils.