Effects of arbuscular mycorrhizal inoculation on growth performance of Piper longum L. (Piperaceae) under sterilized soil conditions

Abstract: A green house study was carried out to investigate the effect of inoculation with four native arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), Glomus mosseae, G. fasciculatum, G. clarum and G. versiforme on growth performance of a medicinally important plant "Long pepper" (Piper longum L.). Inoculation with all AMF species enhanced plant growth, however, significant variation in effectiveness of the four AMF species was observed in relation to both root and shoot growth. A significantly higher total biomass (0.84g/plant) was observed in G. fasciculatum and G. clarum inoculated plants. The performance of G. fasciculatum, G. clarum and G. versiforme were statistically on par to each other in increasing the chlorophyll content over the control plants. The root colonizing capacity of G. fasciculatum was found to be significantly higher, the next being G. versiforme.