The effects of two arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi on some physical properties of a sandy loam soil and nutrients uptake by spring barley

Document Type : Research Article

Authors

1 1. Former M.SC. Student, Department of Soil Science, Faculty of Agricultural Technology and Natural Resource, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili

2 Associate Professor of Department of Soil Science, Faculty of Agricultural Technology and Natural Resource, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili

3 Professor of Department of Soil Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Tabriz University:

Abstract

The coarse-textured soils have mainly macrospores, therefore, water and nutrients holding capacity of these soils is considerably low. Although the effects of mycorrhizal fungi on physical properties and nutrients uptake has been studied in fine- textured soils but the effect of these fungi on physical properties and nutrients uptake in coarse-textured soils has not been studied. A completely randomized block experimental design was conducted with two species of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi including Glomus intraradices (GI), Glomus etunicatum (GE) and a non-mycorrhizal (control) undergrowth of spring barley with four replications in a sterilized sandy loam soil under greenhouse conditions. The results showed that GI and GE fungi significantly (P < 0.01) increased the mean weight diameter of aggregates by 113.6 and 201.8%, mesopores by 20.8 and 27.8% and microspores by 5 and 14.1%, total porosity by 2.2 and 2.6%, available water capacity by 13.3 and 27.1%, while decreased macropores by 9.5 and 17.3% and saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ks) by 68.8 and 88.2% relative to the control, respectively. Furthermore, the percentages of increase were 45.9 and 164 for potassium and 53.5 and 135.1 for phosphorus in GI and GE relative to the control, respectively. According to the results of this study, mycorrhizal symbiosis improved physical quality and nutrients uptake of the alkaline coarse-textured soil.

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