Effects of Three Mycorrhizal Fungi on Growth and Development, Colonization Rate and Phosphorus Concentration in Roots of Marigold (Tagetes erecta)

Mycorrhizal fungi may enhance plants growth and development by increasing the water use efficiency and nutrients uptake and alleviating of the salinity and drought stresses. This study was conducted to investigate the effects of three arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi species (Glomus intraradices, G. mosseae and G. versiforme) on growth and development parameters of marigold with four treatments (non inoculated or control plants and inoculated plants with three mentioned fungal species) and five replications in complete randomized design. Comparison of the mean values was done using Duncan’s Multiple Range Test at 5% probability level. Inoculated plants with all the three mycorrhizal fungi had better growth and development than control plants and symbiosis of hosted plants with mycorrhizal fungi resulted in significantly (p <0.05) increase of the plant height (upto 3 times), flower size (1.5-2.5 times), fresh and dry weights (more than 3 times), colonization rate, phosphorus concentration of root and earlier flowering (14-15 days) compared with non-inoculated plants. G. versiforme was more efficient than the other two mycorrhizal fungi regarding the mentioned traits. It seemed that the higher percentage of colonization with this species was the probable cause of its good efficiency.