INFLUENCE OF VAM FUNGI ON GROWTH RESPONSE OF NEEM (<em>AZADIRACHTA</em> <em>INDICA</em>)

Abstract

An investigation was carried out to screen and select an efficient vesicular arbuscular mycorrhizal (VAM) fungus for inoculating the forest tree species, neem (Azadirachta indica). The neem seedlings were inoculated with four different VAM fungi, two from a preliminary screening trial and the remaining two from the root zone soil of neem trees. VAM inoculated seedlings generally showed good response in having greater plant height, stem girth, biomass, P content and Zn concentration, biovolume index and quality index. The mycorrhizal root colonisation and spore numbers in the root zone soil was also more in VAM inoculated plants as compared with uninoculated plants. The best response was seen in neem plants inoculated with Glomus mosseae.