Abstracts |
The effects of 10 strains of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) and 4 arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) inoculants were examined in order to evaluate their effectiveness and compatibility with three ecotypes of Thai vetiver (Vetiveria zizanioides), namely the Mae Hae, Suratthanee and Songkhla ecotypes, using pot trials. Three trials were conducted, each with one type of vetiver. In each trial, the treatments were arranged in an 11x5 factorial (including an uninoculated control) using a randomized complete block design with 4 replications. It was found that in the Mae Hae and Suratthanee vetiver plants, plant height, root and shoot dry-weight, including nutrient assimilation, were affected by PGPR inoculation, but in the Songkhla ecotype, only nutrient uptake and the percentage of AMF root infection were affected (P<0.05). Furthermore, the ARA of the roots of the Mae Hae vetiver was affected significantly by the main effects of PGPR. AMF affected shoot potassium uptake of the Mae Hae ecotype with an improvement of about 19% (P<0.05) from one AMF when compared to the uninoculated control. The following parameters: plant height, number of tillers and shoot phosphorus uptake of the Mae Hae ecotype, as well as the root and shoot dry-weight, and nutrient assimilation for the Suratthanee ecotype and the plant height, shoot dry-weight and ARA of the roots for the Songkhla ecotype, were all significantly affected by the PGPR x AMF interaction. The variations in responsive patterns to the inoculated microbial treatments were observed across the three vetiver ecotypes. |