Significance of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and phosphate dissolving bacteria to enhance phosphate availability for barley plants grown in calcareous soil

Abstract EN

Two field experiments were conducted to study the effect of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal fungi (VAM) and phosphate dissolving bacteria (PDB) application on soil phosphate availability to barley plant grown in calcareous soil.

The experiments were carried out at experimental research station - Ras Sudr, Desert Research Center in winter seasons of 2015-2016 and 2016-2017.

Biofertilizers treatments were: control, Glomus macrocarpium (VAM) and Bacillus megatherium (PDB) either single or mixed application.

Phosphorus fertilizers were applied from two sources, mono super phosphate (MSP) and rock phosphate (RP) at rates of 50, 75 and 100% of the recommended dose.

Application of MSP fertilizer significantly increase of grain, straw and biological yield during both growing seasons by 2.7, 2.1 and 2.3%, respectively as compared to rock phosphate fertilizer treatment.

Dual inoculation with VAM andPDB increased significantly nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations in the grain and straw.

The plant height, grain and straw dry weight per plant, 100 grain weight were increased by 7.5, 8.9, 14.8 and 15.8%, respectively and the grain, straw and biological yield increased significantly by 13.4, 20.6 and 18.1%, respectively compared with the un-inoculated treatments.

The highest significant biological yield (5.248 t/ha) was obtained under MSP, 75, VAM+PDB treatments.