Vesicular-Arbuscular Mycorrhiza in Field-Grown Crops.: II. Effect of Inoculation on Growth and Nutrient uptake in Barley at two Phosphorus Levels in Fumugated Soil

The effect of inoculation with vesicular–arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi on the growth of barley in the field was studied at two levels of soil P on plots fumigated with methyl bromide. During the vegetative phase, growth and P uptake was influenced only by soil P; P uptake in the period from earing until maturity was negligible in uninoculated plots.

Final production of dry matter was increased by 20 % on average by inoculation and by 40 % by soil P. In contrast, the final P uptake was increased by 100% by inoculation and only by 50% by soil P. Concentrations of bromide in shoots were high and inoculation increased the uptake of bromide, Zn and Cu significantly.

Mycorrhizal infection in inoculated plots was first observed 25 days after seedling emergence, and final infection levels were c. 50% in contrast to 12 % without inoculation. The introduced endophyte had spread 30 cm horizontally during the growth period of 96 days.