Influence of vermiwash, vermicompost tea and vermicompost on arbuscular mycorrhizal colonization and biomass of finger millet

Rajendran Suresh, Vivek Amalan, Revanna Ashwin, Davis J. Bagyaraj & Radha D. Kale

Sydowia 71: 279-284

Published online on January 13th, 2020

Investigations on the influence of vermi-products on arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi is scanty. In the present study influence of vermiwash seed treatment alone and in combination with vermiproducts viz. vermicompost tea, vermiwash and vermicompost added to the substrate on mycorrhizal root colonization and biomass of finger millet (Eleusine coracana L.) by AM fungi belonging to different genera and species was investigated. Ambispora leptoticha, Scutellospora calospora, Funneliformis mosseae and Gigaspora gigantia were the four AM fungi used in the experiment. Vermiwash seed treatment significantly enhanced mycorrhizal root colonization compared to seeds treated with water. Addition of vermiwash, vermicompost tea and vermicompost to the substrate in addition to vermiwash seed treatment significantly improved mycorrhizal root colonization, compared to the seed treatment with vermiwash alone. The same trend was observed in the mycorrhizal spore numbers in the substrate. Vermicompost addition to substrate in addition to vermiwash seed treatment increased the plant dry weight by 42 % on an average for all the 4 AM fungi studied, compared to vermiwash seed treatment alone.

Keywords: AM fungi, Finger Millet, Vermi products.

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