The effect of mycorrhiza-like and mycorrhiza fungi on water use efficiency of corn under different irrigation regimes and phosphorus in different climatic conditions of Mazandaran province

In order to evaluate the effects of mycorrhiza-like fungi, Piriformospora indica, and mycorrhiza fungi, Glomus mosseae, symbiosys on corn (Zea mays L. cv. SC 704) grain yield and water use efficiency under different limited irrigation regimes and phosphorus, a field experiment was conducted as split factorial based on a randomized complete block design at two stations of Gharakhil and Bayekola during growing season of 2015. Treatments were different irrigation methods at three levels (100, 75 and 50% of crop water requirement) in main plots, four levels of inoculation (control, Pi inoculation, Gm inoculation and Pi Gm inoculation) and three levels of phosphorus (control, 50 and 100 % of crop requirement) in sub plots as factorial. According to the results, simultaneous inoculation of Pi and Gm induced significant increase in grain yield in both regions (8.6 and 6.3 % for Gharakhil and Bayekola stations, respectively). In both regions, symbiotic fungi incolation improvement of productivity of water use obtained when Pi and Gm were inoculated (especially simultaneous inoculation), in all irrigation treatments. The most of the positive effects of coexistence were observed in both area under irrigation 50% (4.33 and 4.15 Kg/ha, respectively). Overall, the inocolation, results represented a synergistic effect of two applied fungi for ameliorating the corn water use efficiency, especially under limited irrigations.