Influence of AM Fungi, Glomus mosseae and Glomus intraradices on Chickpea Growth and Root-Rot Disease Caused by Fusarium solani f. sp. pisi under Greenhouse Conditions

Abstract

In the present study, the effect of two species of AMF, Glomus mosseae and Glomus intraradices , alone and in combination, was evaluated on the gr owth criteria, chlorophyll content, and root rot disease caused by Fusarium solani f. sp. pisi , on chickpea ( Cicer arietinum L.) under greenhouse conditions. Chickpea seeds we re sown into pots containing 100 g of AMF inoculum (more than 1,000 p ropagules g -1 ) and, after four weeks, root of seedlings were inoculated with conid ia suspension (10 6 conidia mL -1 ) of F. solani f. sp. pisi . Six weeks after pathogen inoculation, shoot and r oot dry weight, shoot height, chlorophyll content and mycorrhizal and Fusarium colonization were measured. Results showed that inoculation of G. mosseae was more effective than G. intraradices and dual inoculations ( G. intraradices + G. mosseae ) on the above criteria. Inoculation of F. solani f. sp. pisi without AMF treatments reduced shoot height, shoot and root dry weight, and chlorophyll content significantly compared with the control. In the presence of AMF, root colonization by F. solani f. sp. pisi and disease severity decreased and individual inoculation with G. mosseae was more effective than the other treatments. Inoc ulation of G. mosseae and G. intraradices caused a significant increase in plant height, sho ot and root dry weight, and chlorophyll content of pathogen-ino culated plants compared with inoculated chickpea plants with F. solani f. sp. pisi. Based on the results, application of G. mosseae was found to be the best for reducing the root rot disease and improving plant growth parameters of chickpea, followed by G. intraradices and dual inoculations. Keywords : Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, Cicer arietinum , Plant growth parameters, Soil borne plant diseases.