Effect of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi and Bio - Inoculants on Germination and Seedling Growth of Carica papaya L. Var. Gujarat Junagadh Papaya-1
Devanshi H. Desai *
Department of Fruit Science, ASPEE College of Horticulture and Forestry, Navsari Agricultural University, Navsari 396 450, Gujarat, India.
Ramesh V. Tank
Department of Fruit Science, ASPEE College of Horticulture and Forestry, Navsari Agricultural University, Navsari 396 450, Gujarat, India.
Ketan D. Desai
ASPEE College of Horticulture and Forestry, Navsari Agricultural University, Navsari 396 450, Gujarat, India.
Het S. Desai
Land Resources and Environmental Sciences and Southern Agricultural Research Center, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana, USA.
Vivek S. Mehta
Regional Horticultural Research Station, Department of Fruit Science, ASPEE College of Horticulture and Forestry, Navsari Agricultural University, Navsari 396 450, Gujarat, India.
Dushyant D. Champaneri
Department of Vegetable Science, ASPEE College of Horticulture and Forestry, Navsari Agricultural University, Navsari 396 450, Gujarat, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Background: Glomus intraradices fungi and three bio-inoculants (Pseudomonas fluorescens, Trichoderma viride, and Trichoderma harzianum) are known to have certain beneficial effects on germination and seedling growth of several tropical fruit crops. A pot study was conducted to evaluate the effects of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi and bio inoculants on seed germination and seedling growth of a papaya cultivar Gujarat Junagadh Papaya-1 at regional horticultural research station (RHRS), ASPEE College of Horticulture and Forestry (ACHF), Navsari Agricultural University, Navsari, Gujarat, India.
Methods: The seeds of papaya were sown in the Monsoon season (June-Aug 2019) in polybags. The seeds of papaya were coated by AM fungi (G. intraradices), three bio inoculants, and their combinations. There were 9 treatments including control treatment.
Results: An application of T. harzianum was found to be the most effective on seed germination and seedling growth by enhancing germination percentage (89%) along with early emergence (6 days) and consolidating all the growth parameters. T. harzanium was also effective on underground plant parts such as tap root length and diameter. The combination of all four bio-inoculants also gave significant results. Results from this study could be helpful for the West Indian fruit growers by enhancing the opportunities to use bioagents for sustaining their farming systems.
Keywords: Papaya, Glomus intraradices, Pseudomonas fluorescens, Trichoderma viride, and Trichoderma harzianum, GJP - 1