Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
of PS fungi with vermicompost showed higher productivity of
Vigna unguiculata
(
L
.)
Walp
. (cowpea). Pot culture studies also showed that the wet and dry weight of
the shoot, root and pod were higher in vermicompost enriched with microbial
inoculants than in vermicompost alone and in control plants. The maximum growth
performance and yield of a cow pea was observed in the
Aspergillus
sp.-enriched
vermicompost. This is probably due to more phosphorus content in the soil formu-
lation. Saber et al. (
2009
) demonstrated that the inoculation of green gram (
Vigna
radiata
) seeds with
A. niger and Penicillium
in the presence of RP and calcium
superphosphate (CSP) increased significantly the growth, seed yield and P uptake
and also improved the nodulation status and population of total and P-dissolving
fungi in the rhizospheric soil of green gram and could save about 1/3 P fertilizer
dose. Chakraborty et al. (
2010
) observed a significant increase in soybean growth
following
A. niger
,
A. melleus and A. clavatus
application under in situ. However, a
decrease in soil P content was recorded following fungal application.
4.6.3 Oilseed and Fibre Crops
The PSF has also been found to have positive effects on growth and development of
oil seed and fibre crops. As an example, Zand et al. (
2013
)in a study investigated the
effects of PSM and plant density on seed yield and essential oil content of anise
(
Pimpinella anisum
). Treatments consisted of control (P1), seed inoculation
(P2) and seed inoculation + spraying on the plant base at stem elongation stage
(P3) and plant density at four levels (67, 34, 23 and 17 plants/m
2
). The PS
organisms had positive effects on all the measured traits especially when it was
used two times (at seed inoculation + spraying on the plant base at stem elongation
stage). Highest seed yield and essential oil content in seeds were obtained at plant
density of 17plants/m
2
. Greenhouse and field experiments were conducted to
evaluate the effect of a PSF isolate of
P. bilaiae
on the yield and P uptake by
canola (
Brassica napus
L.). Under greenhouse conditions,
P. bilaiae
inoculation
did not affect canola pod or straw dry matter production, but it did increase straw
and pod P concentrations and resulted in increased P uptake over uninoculated
plants. Addition of P (20 mg/kg soil) as Florida rock phosphate (FRP) together with
P. bilaiae
enhanced P uptake by canola which was at par with those resulting from
the sole application of mono-ammonium phosphate (MAP), used at the same rate of
P. Addition of FRP had inferior effect on plant P uptake. However, the addition of
P. bilaiae
generally increased dry matter yields and P uptake by canola growing in
two fields, suggesting that
P. bilaiae
might have accounted for increase in the P
pool and hence greater uptake by plants (Kucey and Leggett
1989
). Likewise,
A. niger and P. notatum
solubilized TCP in vitro and promoted the growth of
groundnut (
Arachis hypogaea
) plants grown in soil amended with TCP (Malviya
et al.
2011
). From pot experiments it was clear that the dual inoculation of
A. niger
