Effects of Inoculation with Rhizobium and Arbuscular Mycorrhiza and Phosphorus on Growth, Yield and Nutrient Uptake by Pea Grown in Soil

The experiment was conducted in pot at the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University, Gazipur, Bangladesh to study the response of pea (Pisum sativum) cv. IPSA Motorshuti-3 to dual inoculation with Rhizobium (R) and Arbuscular Mycorrhiza (AM) in presence and absence of phosphorus (P) on root colonization, spore population, nodulation, nitrogenase activity, growth, yield, and nutrient uptake by shoot. The performance of Rhizobium inoculant alone was superior to control in all the parameters of the crop studied. Among the treatments dual inoculation with Rhizobium and Arbuscular Mycorrhiza in combination with 25 kg P ha-1 performed best in recording per cent root colonization, number and dry weight of nodules, dry weight of shoots, nitrogenase activity, number of pods/plant, number of seeds/pod, pod and seed yields, and nutrient uptake by pea. This treatment combination recorded green pod yield of 12.0 g/plant (140 % increase over control) and mature pod yield of 7.0 g/plant (146% increase over control). The effect of this treatment was however similar to the effect of dual inoculation with R and AM in combination with 12.5 kg P ha-1 in most of the parameters. From the view point of nodulation, nitrogenase activity, growth, and yield of pea, dual inoculation with Rhizobium inoculant and arbuscular mycorrhiza in combination with 25 kg P ha-1 was considered to be the best for the supply of balanced combination of nutrients for achieving the maximum output through cultivation of pea in Shallow Red Brown Terrace soil of Bangladesh. Keywords: Pea; Rhizobium; Arbuscular mycorrhiza; Phosphorus DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/bjm.v27i1.9164 BJM 2010; 27(1): 22-27