Effect of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi on chemical constituents in cotton/alfalfa mixed culture

Abstract

A pot experiment was conducted to study the extent of changes occurring in the nutrients, chlorophyll and protein of plants grown in cotton/alfalfa mixed culture as affected by inoculation with indigenous arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). The experiment consisted of mycorrhizal treatments (with and without AMF inoculation) and three planting patterns (cotton monoculture, alfalfa monoculture, cotton/alfalfa mixed culture). Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) inoculum previously isolated from a rhizospheric soil of cotton, was a mixture of Glomus intraradices, G. viscosum, and G. mosseae. Results showed that total chlorophyll and protein concentrations, and nutrients content were higher in AM cotton plants compared with the non-AM control. Mixed culture had a positive effect on all the above parameters in cotton shoot. The highest values were noted in AM plants in the mixed culture. Improved chemicals and biochemical constituents in cotton led to an increase in dry matter production. The highest dry matter was observed in the AM mixed culture, and was significantly higher by 1.4 times than that of non-AM monoculture.