Soil and plants nutrient status and wheat growth after mycorrhiza inoculation with and without vermicompost

ABSTRACT

Two vermicompost treatments providing 45 (V1) and 90 (V2) kg P ha⁻¹ and mycorrhizae (M) inoculation were evaluated alone and in combinations for wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) growth and soil fertility status. The treatments included; the Control, nitrogen (N): dipotassium oxide (K₂O) as basal dose (BD; 120:60 kg ha⁻¹), N: phosphorus pentoxide (P₂O₅): K₂O as recommended dose (RD; 120:90:60 kg ha⁻¹), BD+Myccorhiza (BDM), BD+V1 (BDV1), BDM+V1 (BDMV1), BD+V2 (BDV2), and BDM+V2 (BDMV2). Combination of mycorrhizae and vermicompost (BDMV1 and BDMV2) significantly and maximally improved the growth, plant N, phosphorus (P), and micronutrient concentrations over the control, reduced the soil pH by 5 and 6%, increased OM by 25 and 112%, total N by 41%, and extractable P up to 200% while the extent of improvement was directly related to the content of added vermicompost. Results indicated that vermicompost at either level synergistically affected the mycorrhizae in plant nutrition as well as improved soil fertility status and soil chemical properties.

KEYWORDS:

• micronutrient
• mycorrhizae
• phosphorus
• soil fertility
• vermicompost
• wheat yield

Acknowledgment

Facilities provided by the Department of Soil and Environmental Sciences, the University of Agriculture, Peshawar are thankfully acknowledged.