Impact of Glomus macrocarpon inoculation and phosphorus amendments on root rot of mungbean caused by Macrophomina phaseolina (Tassi) Goid

The purpose of present study was to develop a management strategy based on a time effective inoculation of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) to mitigate the yield losses of Mungbean (Vigna radiata (L.) wilczek) due to Macrophomina phaseolina (Tassi) Goid. The interactions between AMF (Glomus macrocarpon, Myc) and Mp were studied in experiments conducted in sterilized soil at pot house during spring 2017 and 2018 seasons, respectively. In particular, investigations were done to observe the effect of mycorrhiza on disease intensity of dry root rot, the effect of Mp on mycorrhisation (root colonization and AMF spore density/100 g soil) and the interactive effects of Myc and Mp on phosphorus (P) content and dry root rot severity index of Vigna radiata. Pre-inoculating plants with AMF (Myc + Mp) considerably reduced Mp population density, as compared to (MP/Myc). Early inoculation of AMF (Myc + Mp) increased mycorrhisation, P content of plants and reduced disease intensity up to 70 and 85.0%, respectively. The results suggested that soil pretreated with AMF acted as bioprotectant against the dry root rot in mungbean.