VA-MYCORRHIZA MEDIATED P EFFECT ON GROWTH AND YIELD OF SUNFLOWER (HELIANTHUS-ANNUUS L) AT DIFFERENT P LEVELS

A field trial was conducted to study the response of sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) to different phosphorus levels (16, 24 or 32 kg P ha(-1)) and inoculation with vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus, Glomus fasciculatum on vertisol during summer 1993. At the vegetative stage of sunflower, percent mycorrhizal root colonization, spore count, dry biomass and P uptake did not differ significantly between inoculated and uninoculated control plants. However, at later stages (flowering and maturity) percent root colonization, spore count, total dry biomass and total P uptake were significantly higher in inoculated plants than in uninoculated control plants. The total dry biomass, P content and seed yield increased with increasing P level in uninoculated plants, whereas no significant difference was observed between 16 and 32 kg P ha(-1) in inoculated plants. The positive effect of mycorrhizal inoculation decreased with increasing P level above 16 kg P ha(-1), due to decreased percent root colonization and spore count at higher P levels.