Effects of mycorrhizal inoculation in soilless culture on pepper plant growth

The aim of study was to search the effect of mycorrhizal inoculation on soilless growth condition. Two greenhouse experiments evaluated the effect of mycorrhizal inoculation with two species (Glomus caledonium and Glomus clarum) and three different inoculation treatments (sowing, transplanting and sowing+transplanting and control-without mycorrhiza) on plant growth of pepper hydroponically grown on perlite. The plants inoculated with AM fungi at sowing, transplanting and sowing+transplanting periods with 1000 spores per plant. For each inoculum period mycorrhizal inoculation increased pepper shoot and root dry weight compared with non-inoculated control plants. Mycorrhizal inoculation increased plant dry weight in the Experiment 1 with 24, 17, and 36% comparison to control plants, respectively. The increases in the Experiment 2 were 28, 26, and 41%, respectively. It is clear that with increasing the day of inoculation the contribution of mycorrhiza on plant growth is increase. Mycorrhizal inoculation increased root colonization. The overall results revealed that pepper plant is mycorrhizal dependent plant. It can be suggested to be used in soilless growth condition