Screening of symbiotic mycorrhiza and the effect of superior isolate with different fertilizer treatments on vegetative characteristics and flowering of cumin in greenhouse conditions

The present study investigates the effects of some mycorrhizal fungi with different fertilizer treatments on vegetative characteristics and Cuminum cyminum L. yield components. For this purpose, first experiments were carried out on rhizosphere soil of several plants of Apiaceae family (Bunium persicum, Cuminum cyminum and Coriandrum sativum), and according to the results, the superior isolate (isolate of Coriandrum sativum 3), which had the highest percentage of colonization, was selected for mass production of inoculum of mycorrhizal fungi. Then, the main experiment was performed on Cuminum cyminum in a factorial arrangement based on completely randomized design.Treatments including control and different levels of fertilization at two levels without inoculation and inoculation with mycorrhiza were accomplished in greenhouse with four replications. The results of data analysis indicated that the traits related to the shoot (stem height and diameter, fresh and dry weight, number of branches, number of flowers per plant), root traits (root volume and length), and the percentage of colonization were significantly (at 1% probability) affected by the combined use of mycorrhiza with chemical fertilizer, leading to improved vegetative properties and yield components in Cuminum cyminum. Combined consumption of mycorrhiza and fertilizer except micro elements (T5) in all traits was the best treatment. No significant difference was observed between fertilizer treatments and control treatment; however, with the presence of mycorrhizal fungi, the difference was significant among the traits studied.