Effect of growing media and arbuscular mycorrhiza fungi on seedling growth of Leucaena leucocephala (Lam.) de Wit.

Abstract

Present study was carried out to assess the effect of growing media and arbuscular mycorrhiza fungi (AMF) inoculation on growth of Leucaena leucocephala under nursery conditions. The study consisted of six different growing media viz., T1- soil (1), T2- soil + sand (2:1), T3- soil + vermicompost (2:1), T4- soil + perlite (2:1), T5- soil + sand + vermicompost (1:1:1) and T6- soil + perlite + vermicompost (1:1:1), and four mycorrhizal treatments viz., Acaulospora scrobiculata (individual); Glomus intraradices (individual); A. scrobiculata + G. intraradices (combined) and control (uninoculated). Among growing media, all studied parameters (shoot and root length, fresh shoot and root weight, dry shoot and root weight) were significantly higher in soil + vermicompost media (T3). On the other hand, AMF inoculations significantly enhanced all the observed parameters, barring few exceptions. The combined inoculation of A. scrobiculata + G. intraradices gave higher values of growth parameters than individual inoculations. Plant showed maximum dependency (%) for dry matter production on combined inoculation of A. scrobiculata and G. intraradices. Thus, it can be concluded that potting media consisting of soil and vermicompost intermixed with A. scrobiculata + G. Intraradices together should be used for raising L. leucocephala seedlings under nursery conditions.