Efficiency of Mycorrhiza Associated with Piper mullesua Plantlets under Acidic Soil Condition

The investigation was carried out to study the efficiency of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in up taking plant nutrients for the Piper mullesua plantlets grown in acidic soil condition. In the present study, Piper mullesua seedlings were infected with ten different strains of AM fungi and one without inoculation of AM fungi under controlled soil pH (4.5). Growth parameters and plant nutrients of AM infected plants were higher than those of non-mycorrhizal controls, which confirm the contribution of AM fungi. The two mycorrhizal fungal species G. macrocarpum and G. hoi were most efficient in pH 4.5 and encouraged the growth of the plantlets P. mullesua. The correlation coefficient between plant biomass and phosphatase activity was highly significant in case of G. macrocarpum associated with P. mullesua plantelts under acidic soil condition which confirms potentiality of the fungal inoculums in acidic soil.