ACTIVITY EVALUATION OF MYCORRHIZA FUNGUS (Glomus mosseae ; Trichoderma harzianum) AND HUMIC ACID ON GROWTH AND YIELD OF MAZIE

Abstract

The experiment was conducted in the field College of Science/ University of Diyala, during the spring season of 2006 to study the effects of humic acid and fungal inoculation and their interaction on the growth and yield characteristics of maize plants IPA (3003) in Loamy sand soil. Factorial experiment in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) was used including eight treatments combination for the experiment was applied through using of two levels of humic acid and four levels of fungal inoculation. Humic acid levels were (with and without supplementation), Where as Fungal inoculation levels were (no fungal; Glomus mosseae; Trichoderma harzianum and Glomus + Trichoderma combination). Three replicates for each treatment combination were used (24 experimental units for the experiment). Data were taken after 30 days from sowing, at flowering and harvesting stages. The results showed that the supplementation of humic acid or the inoculation with V.A.M significantly increased plant height after 30 days from sowing, shoot dry weights at flowering and harvesting stages, the percentage of mycorrhiza infection after 30 days from sowing and at harvesting stages, grain yield, weight of 100 grain, and leaf area. Inoculation with the T. harzianum had only a significant increase in plant height after 30 days from sowing, grain yield, and weight of 100 grain. The combined treatment of both fungus G. mosseae and T. harzianum showed a significant effects on plant height after 30 days from sowing, shoot dry weights, the percentage of mycorrhiza infection, grain yield, weight of 100 grain, leaf area, in all stages of growth. The combination treatments of humic acid supplementation with the two fungus showed were the superior in plant height, shoot dry weights after 30 days from sowing and at flowering stage, the percentage of mycorrhiza infection, grain yield, and weight of 100 grain. While the interaction between humic acid and G. mosseae was superior in increasing shoot dry weights at harvest stage and the leaf area, without any significant difference between the two treatments.