Influence of Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi on growth, nutrient uptake and disease suppression of some selected vegetable crops

A reduction of the agrochemicals input along with selecting suitable cultivars and species is imperative to increase the sustainability of crop production. The influence of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF) on seedling emergence growth, nutrient uptake and disease incidence of some selected vegetables viz. Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus), Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum), Brinjal (Solanum melongena), Chilli (Capsicum frutescens) and Data (Amaranthus oleraceus) has been evaluated. The results showed that AMF inoculation could increase almost all growth parameters. The seedling emergence, plant height, length and weight of root and shoot of mycorrhiza inoculated vegetables were comparatively higher than that of non-inoculated control plants. The mycorrhizal inoculation suppressed root rot, damping off and leaf spot disease of Okra, Tomato, Brinjal, Chilli and Data almost to half extent. Meanwhile, an increased nutrient (N, P, K, Fe, and Zn) uptake was recorded with the inoculated plants. Among the inoculated vegetables, comparatively higher N, P, and K uptake were observed in Okra and Brinjal whereas Zn and Fe uptake was found higher in Okra and Data respectively. Therefore, for sustainable vegetable production, introducing bio-fertilizer by using arbuscular mycorrhiza inoculation would be one of the most efficient techniques for replacing chemical fertilizer to meet the nutrient deficiency in nutrient deficient soils.