The Effects of Mycorrhiza and Seaweed Applications on Seedling Growth Parameters: Tomato and Pepper

ABSTRACT

The use of mycorrhiza and seaweed are becoming significant and complementary applications in different production systems because organisms increased quality of seedlings and crop yield. This study has been conducted under growth chamber conditions to determine some of the seedling growth parameters (length (cm), stem diameter (mm), fresh weight (g plant ⁻¹), dry weight (g plant ⁻¹), root fresh weight (g plant ⁻¹), root dry weight (g plant ⁻¹), leaf area (cm² plant⁻¹), SPAD, photosynthesis rate (%) and color parameters). As a plant material, Cuma F1 and Mert F1 genotype seeds were sown. Endo Roots Soluble (Mycorrhiza (ERS)) and MC-Extra (Seaweed) were applied in different doses (0, 250 and 500 mg kg⁻¹) to seedling growing vessels at a rate of 10 ml per plant. Treatment effects in tomato were found statistically significant (p ≤.01**) on stem diameter, fresh weight, dry weight. Seedling length, leaf area and SPAD results were also statistically significant (p ≤.01**), and the results of these parameters were higher in ERS. ERS increases the leaf area and SPAD measurements in tomato seedlings. The results of pepper measurements were found to be statistically significant at p ≤.05* on root fresh weight, SPAD and photosynthesis rate. The highest values of root fresh weight, SPAD were obtained from 250 mg kg⁻¹ doses of ERS; the highest value of photosynthesis rate was measured from 500 mg kg⁻¹ doses of ERS on pepper. The effect of 500 mg kg⁻¹ ERS on seedling growth was found statistically significant in pepper.

KEYWORDS:

• Ascophyllum nodosum
• Glomus spp.
• growth chamber
• pepper seedling
• tomato seedling

Acknowledgements

I would like to express my special thanks to Prof. Dr Hayriye İbrikçi and Assoc. Prof. Dr Gokhan BUYUK for editing language of this manuscript. I would also like to thank the Director of Kahta Vocational School for allowing me to use the laboratory and climate chamber for this experiment.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).