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ABSTRACT
Limited land resources affect production of Hot Pepper (Capsicum frutescens L.). Strategies to increase production of hot pepper include use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and insecticides, but these can negatively impact the soil. Methods must be derived to improve nutrient uptake while reducing synthetic chemical inputs. Soil microbes including, arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi, represent a link between plants and soil mineral nutrients. The investigation was carried out to determine the ability of AM fungi [Glomus mosseae (Nicol. & Gerd.) Gerd. & Trappe and Acaulospora laevis Gerd. & Trappe] applied alone and in combination with the bacterium Pseudomonas fluorescens to affect growth, biochemical attributes and yield of hot pepper. All treatments enhanced C. frutescens growth, physiological parameters, and yield over the untreated control. Inoculation with G. mosseae (G) + A. laevis (A) + P. fluorescens (P), followed by G + A inoculation produced the best growth response, AM colonization, phosphorus uptake, and biochemical responses due to a positive interaction among rhizospheric microorganisms. Soil amended with G. mosseae + A. laevis + P. fluorescens at transplanting increased production of high-quality hot pepper and reduced fertilizer required.
Acknowledgments
The authors thank Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra, India, for providing infrastructure facilities to carry out the research
Funding
Esha Jangra is grateful for financial assistance from Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra, India, in the form of a university research scholarship for completion of this work.