Synergistic effect of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and Trichoderma viride on growth and physiology of Sapindus mukorosii Gaertn

A polyhouse experiment was conducted to study the efficacy of two arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi and Trichoderma viride on growth of Sapindus mukorosii Gaertn seedlings. Seedlings of S. mukorosii were raised in presence of two mycorrhizal fungi i.e. Glomus mosseae and Acaulospora laevis and Trichoderma viride. Different treatments of AM fungi alone and in combination with T. viride were used to assess their effect on growth parameters like change in height, root length, fresh and dry root and shoot weight and leaf area of S. mukorosii. Physiological parameters like chlorophyll and phosphorus contents (in roots and shoots) were also determined after 45 and 90 days of inoculation. It was observed that the seedlings inoculated with these bioinoculants showed significant increase in different growth parameters after 45 and 90 days. Improvement in plant growth parameters i.e. plant height, shoot and root biomass, leaf area, root length, chlorophyll content and stomatal conductance with observed with combined inoculation of AM fungi as well as T. viride over the individual inoculation and control treatment. The percent mycorrhizal root colonization and AM spore count as well as phosphorus content in plant was also recorded higher in plants co-inoculated with G. mosseae and T. viride. It is concluded that the dual inoculation of G. mosseae and T. viride was proved to be the best combination for the growth of Sapindus mukorosii.