GROWTH RESPONSE AND WATER USE EFFICIENCY IN MAIZE (ZEA MAYS L) INOCULATED WITH DIFFERENT MYCORRHIZAL INOCULUMS

Abstract

Using mycorrhizal inoculum in sustainable agriculture attracted immense attention in recent years for improving plant growth, and water uptake. A plastic pot experiment was carried out at the College of Agricultural Engineering Sciences, University of Sulaimani, during June to Juley 2020 to study the effect of different mycorrhizal inoculum (Glomus mosseae, Glomus geosporum and a commercial inoculum INOQ Agri) on growth responses and water use efficiency (WUE) of two maize varieties (GLORIA and SY Miami). The root colonization percentage for GLORIA and SY Miami were (5, 83.33, 88.33, 88.33) % (3.33, 86.67, 78.33, 85) % for control, G. mosseae, G. geosporum, and INOQ Agri, respectively. Inoculated plants showed significantly better growth and water use efficiency compared to non-mycorrhizal plants. The best plant heights were in INGQ Agri plants (91.33, 90.67) cm in both GLORIA and SY Miami respectively. Highest shoot biomass (49.83, 44.50) g pot-1 and root biomass (16.17, 15.67) g pot-1 were found in INGQ Agri inoculant in both GLORIA and SY Miami respectively. The heights concentration of N, P and K were in INOQ Agri (1.53%, 0.61% and 0.14%) for GLORIA and (1.48%, 0.56% and 0.14%) for SY Miami respectively, Mycorrhizal inoculation also improved (WUE) in maize plants the average increasing percentage were (34.92%, 19.3%) for GLORIA and SY Miami cultivars respectively.

Keywords

• arbuscular mycorrhiza
• water use efficiency
• maize
• biofertilizers