Effect of Inoculation with Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi on Biomass and Uptake of Nutrients of Hazelnut Seedlings in Field Condition

Mycorrhizal fungi are one of the useful soil microorganisms, which can increase the growth of the host plant by absorbing and transferring more water and nutrients to the plant due to symbiosis with plant roots. Therefore, in order to investigate the effect of mycorrhizal fungi on the biomass and nutrient absorption of hazelnut seedlings, a factorial experiment was conducted in the form of a randomized complete block design in field conditions. The investigated factors included the three origins of the seedlings (Fandoghlou, Makesh, and Makidi regions) and fungal inoculation in three levels (Rhizophagus irregularis, Myco root inoculum and control) with three replications of 25 at a distance of 3x3 m, in an area of 6075 m2 in the agricultural lands on the edge of Fandoghlou Forest in Ardabil, Iran. After four years, the results showed that the inoculated seedlings of all three origins were superior in terms of all the examined characteristics compared to the control (non-inoculated) seedlings. The highest traits belonged to Fandoghlou seedlings with R. irregularis inoculation. In these seedlings, root colonization, dry mass of root, stem and leaf were, respectively, 51.9%, 54.4%, 45.1%, and 40.7% higher, and N, P, K, Fe, and Zn were, respectively, 38.8%, 45.4%, 62.9%, 35.5%, and 42.6% more compared to the control seedlings. Finally, it can be concluded that planting of hazelnut seedlings inoculated with mycorrhizal fungi (especially R. irregularis) will have higher vegetative growth.