Effect of vesicular arbuscular mycorrhiza on growth, leaf yield and phosphorus uptake in mulberry (Morus alba) under irrigated, alluvial soil conditions

A field experiment was undertaken to study the effect of vesicular arbuscular mycorrhizal association in mulberry saplings 'S 1' with reduced levels of phosphate on growth characters, leaf yield and phosphorus uptake during 1994-97 under irrigated, alluvial soil conditions of Gangetic plain with 7.4 pH. Pooled data analysis of 8 seasons revealed that all the 3 strains of Glomus at reduced phosphate doses showed promising result in respect to plant growth characters and leaf yield of which Glomus mosseae at the lowest phosphate dose (30 kg/ha/year) registered maximum plant height (135.1 cm), number of branches/plant (7.7), number of leaves/plant (191.7) and leaf yield (23 526.0 kg/ha/year) and was found to be at par(132.8 cm, 7.0, 177.0 and 22023.0 kg/ha/year respectively) with control (180 kg phosphate/ha/year) and other treatments. With regard to leaf quality G. mosseae with 30 kg phosphate/ha/year influenced maximum leaf moisture content (74.61%) and phosphorus uptake in leaves (3.91 mg/g dry leaf) except leaf area and were found to be similar with control and other treatments. The association of G. mosseae in roots of mulberry 'S 1' mulberry can reduce the requirement of 80% phosphate fertilizer (30 kg/ha/year) over recommended dose (180 kg/ha/year) for irrigated garden without any detrimental effects and enabled to save Rs 2 125/ha/year.