Journal of Environmental Biology

Effect of arbuscular mycorrhizal (am) fungus and plant growth

promoting rhizomicroorganisms (PGPR’s) on

medicinal plant Solanum viarum seedlings

 

Author Details

 

N. Hemashenpagam

Department of Microbiology, Hindusthan College of Arts and Science, Coimbatore 641028, India

T. Selvaraj

(Corresponding author)

Department of Plant Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Ambo University, Ambo-19, East Africa

e-mail: nhema10@yahoo.co.in

 

 

 

Publication Data

Paper received:

20 November 2009

 

Revised received:

01 May 2010

 

Re-revised received:

07 October 2010

 

Accepted:

20 November 2010

 

Abstract

A green house nursery study was conducted to assess the interaction between arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungus, Glomus aggregatum and some plant growth promoting rhizomicrooganisms (PGPR’s), Bacillus coagulans and Trichoderma harzianum, in soil and their consequent effect on growth, nutrition and  content of secondary metabolities of Solanum viarum seedlings. Triple inoculation of G. aggregatum+B. coagulans+T. harzainum with Solanum viarum in a green house nursery study resulted in maximum plant biomass (plant height 105 cm and plant dry weight 12.17 g),  P, Fe, Zn, Cu and Mn and secondary metabolities [total phenols (129.6 mg g^-1 f.wt.), orthodihydroxy phenols (90.6 mg g^-1 f.wt.), flavonoids (3.94 mg g^-1 f.wt.), alkaloids (5.05 mg g^-1 f.wt.), saponins (5.05 mg g^-1 f.wt.) and tannins (0.324 mg g^-1 f.wt.)] of S. viarum seedlings. The mycorrhizal root colonization and spore numbers in the root zone soil of the inoculated plants increased. The enzyme activity namely acid phosphatase (53.44 mg PNP g^-1 soil), alkaline phosphatase (40.95 mg PNP g^-1 soil) and dehydrogenase (475.5 mg PNP g^-1 soil) and total population of B. coagulans (12.5×10⁴ g^-1) and T. harzianum (12.4×10⁴ g^-1), in the root zone soil was found high in the triple inoculation with G. aggregatum+B. coagulans+T. harzianum that proved to be the best microbial consortium.

 

Key words

Solanum viarum, Glomus aggregatum, Bacillus coagulans, Trichoderma harzianum, Secondary metabolites

 

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