ROLE OF VESICULAR-ARBUSCULAR MYCORRHIZA FUNGI AND PHOSPHORUS IN THE CONTROL OF ALFALFA DAMPING-OFF PATHOGENS

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Plant Pathology Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, Egypt

2 Plant Pathology Research Institute, Agricultural Research Center, Giza, Egypt

Abstract

The effects of vesicular arbscular Mycorrhiza fungi (Glomus sp, Gigaspora sp Acalospora sp) and different sources and levels of phos­phorus on damping off caused by Fusarium oxysporum, Verticiffium albo­atrum and Colletotrichum adorn in alfalfa plants were investigated in pot experiments. VAMF decreased damping off in plants grown in soil amend­ed with superphosphate or rock phosphate, whereas damping-off in­creased in soil unamended with phosphorus source. The extent of mycor­rhizal colonization increased by the addition of superphosphate to the soil in comparison with rock phosphate or without phosphate. Dry weight of shoots was affected by using VA mycorrhiza and phosphatic fertiliza­tion, where it was increased in the presence of mycorrhiza and super­phosphate or rock- phosphate, contrary to plants grown in soil unamend­ed with phosphatic fertilizer.VAMF can be considered one tactic to be included in an IPM program provided enough phosphatic sources are available.