The Effects of Vesicular-Arbuscular Mycorrhizae on the Plant Growth and Nutrient Uptake of Cucumber

Authors: SİBEL ÇIĞŞAR, NEBAHAT SARI, İBRAHİM ORTAŞ

Abstract: This study was conducted to investigate the effect of vesicular-arbuscular (VA) mycorrhizae on plant growth of cucumber. Yayla F 1 seeds were sown in sterile and non-sterile growing medium (organic manure:soil:mix of sand; v:v:v 1:1:1). The mix inoculum of Glomus mosseaand Glomus fasciculatumspores (10 g/plant) was placed 5 cm below the cucumber seed before sowing. In order to investigate the effects of VA mycorrhizae on plant growth, plant height, diameter, number of nodes were measured every 15 days. Also once a month biomass, P, Zn and Mn content of dry matter biomass and mycorrhizal infection were also determined. The results reveal that the VA mycorrhizae inoculum used in sterile medium has a positive effect on plant growth. It seems that in a sterilised medium, mycorrhizal inoculation significantly increased the fresh and dry weight of the leaf, shoot and root biomass and leaf area index also. The effect of mycorrhizal inoculation on plant growth was related with higher uptake of P, Zn and Mn.

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