Profitable turmeric (Curcuma longa L.) production requires adequate nutrients. We have investigated the effect of inoculation with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) on growth, nutrient uptake, yield and curcumin production of turmeric under field and glasshouse conditions. Although AMF inoculation slightly increased plant height, leaf number and shoot N content, no statistical differences were observed in vegetative growth parameters, biomass production, nutrient uptake and curcumin content compared to control plants under field conditions. It was difficult to determine the exact effect of inoculated AMF on turmeric growth because of indigenous AMF. On the other hand, turmeric showed better response to AMF inoculation under greenhouse conditions. AMF inoculation resulted in higher biomass production and nutrient uptake of turmeric. Moreover the concentration of curcumin, contained in the rhizome of turmeric, increased in AMF treatment. These results indicate that AMF inoculation has beneficial effects on turmeric growth and curcumin production. AMF inoculation to turmeric field would be effective when indigenous soil populations of AMF are low or native AMF are no longer effective.
Maize plants are well colonized with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), which contribute mineral nutrients absorption from soil. However little is known about their role in nitrogen (N) absorption especially from amino acids, which reach a considerable quantity in soils. This experiment was conducted to investigate N acquisition from amino acids through AMF symbiosis. AMF inoculation clearly increased the N content of maize supplied with amino acids (Glu, Ala and Pro). Further study of xylem sap revealed that the composition of amino acids was changed by AMF inoculation. These results indicate that AMF contribute N from amino acids, and may affect the nitrogen assimilation of host plants.
Legume-grass mixed cropping has significant advantages that affect crop yield and soil resources. Generally, grasses grown with legumes take up more nitrogen than those grown under sole cropping. We focused on the effect of cutting hairy vetch during a vigorous growth stage on N uptake in oat under mixed cropping. We evaluated the amounts of N transferred from hairy vetch to oat by using a 15 N dilution method. Cutting hairy vetch increased the number of tillers and dry weight of oat, but total N content was not significantly higher than that under mixed cropping without cutting. In contrast, the amount of N transferred to oat was increased by cutting. Estimated amounts of N transferred to oat were 2.7 g m -2 with cutting of hairy vetch and 0.8 g m -2 without cutting. Cutting half of the oats under sole cropping did not indicate the transfer of rhizodeposited N in oat to the residual plants. In addition, cutting hairy vetch increased the amounts of accumulated solar radiation in the middle canopy of the mixed cropping plots. Therefore, in a hairy vetch and oat mixed cropping system, cutting of the hairy vetch might enhance growth of oat due to the transfer of N from hairy vetch and the reduction of light interception to the oat canopy. N fertility enhancement of the soil by cutting of the legume would be valuable for low-input crop production.
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