Effect of mycorrhizae inoculation on plant growth, yield, and phosphorus uptake in garlic under field conditions

The effect of mycorrhizae species and phosphorus (P) fertilizer on garlic (Allium sativum L.) growth, yield-quality, and P uptake under high P accumulated non-sterile field conditions were studied. Experiments were conducted for two successive years under field conditions of Menzilat soil series (Typic xerofluvent) at the Research Farm of the University of Cukurova (Turkey). Glomus mosseae arbuscular mycorrhizae (AM) were tested on local Urfa genotype of garlic at 0, 40, 80, and 120 kg phosphorus (P2O5) ha(-1). In the first year, garlic was inoculated with 1,000 spores per plant, but in the second year, garlic was inoculated with either 1,000 or 2,000 spores per plant. Emergence, plant growth, yield, bulb size, root mycorrhizal infection, and phosphorus uptake of plants were examined. Neither mycorrhizal inoculation nor P2O5 supply increased garlic growth and yield. However, at 0 level of P2O5 application, mycorrhizal inoculation slightly increased plant P uptake. In the second year of the experiment, mycorrhizae significantly increased clove yield. The results revealed that although garlic is mycorrhizal dependent, mycorrhizal inoculation did not contribute to the plant growth and nutrient uptake.