International Journal of Innovative Horticulture

This study was conducted under field conditions to evaluate the impact of mycorrhizal fungi inoculation and varying amounts of P fertiliser on the fruit yield and uptake of P, Zn, Fe, Mn and Cu in tomato, green pepper, bell pepper, and eggplant. The study was conducted at the Research Farm of Cukurova University in Adana, Turkey, in the eastern Mediterranean region. Three levels of phosphorus control, 50 kg and 100 kg P₂O₅ ha^-1, were applied with and without mycorrhizae inoculation. After harvesting, the nutrient concentration of the leaves, mycorrhizal inoculation percentage (MI), inoculation effectiveness (MIE), and fruit yield were determined. The results of the experiment revealed that all mycorrhizal-inoculated and P-fertiliser-applied plants showed higher yields than non-inoculated plants and those without P- fertiliser, as well as higher leaf concentrations of P, Zn, Fe, Mn, and Cu. Mycorrhizal inoculation with a moderate amount of P fertiliser (50 kg ha^-1 P₂O₅) has increased the yield of green pepper, bell pepper, and tomato fruits compared with non-inoculated plants and non-P fertiliser treatments. Root colonization was in the highest range (≥ 53 %) among all four plant species with mycorrhizal inoculated treatments. Additionally, the highest yield was observed in the same plant species, particularly in those inoculated with mycorrhizal fungi. Increasing the P-level application reduced MIE. MIE was negative at a 100 kg P₂O₅ ha^-1 application except for eggplant and green pepper. Mycorrhizal inoculation resulted in an average yield increase of 18-21% compared to non-inoculated crops.