EFFECT OF INOCULATING FUNGI INTO COMPOST ON GROWTH OF TOMATO AND COMPOST MICROFLORA

The ability of Acremonium butyri, Chaetomium globosum, Gliocladium roseum, Trichoderma hamatum and Zygorrhynchus moelleri to enhance growth of tomato plants cv. Alta was examined by inoculating soilless compost with these fungi. The effect of inocula on the population of other microflora in the compost was also examined. T. hamatum and Z. moelleri significantly (P less than or equal to 0.05) increased the growth of tomato plants and this increase was greater than resulted from normal fertiliser practice adopted by growers. The population of inoculated T. hamatum and Z. moelleri remained constant in compost with or without tomato plants whereas the populations of other introduced fungi declined with time. Each of the 5 introduced fungi reduced the original populations of Fusarium, Penicillium and Mucor, but not the total bacterial or actinomycete populations. The microbial populations were significantly (P less than or equal to 0.05) higher in compost with plants than in compost without plants.