Exploring the Role of Mycorrhizal and Rhizobium Inoculation with Organic and Inorganic Fertilizers on the Nutrient Uptake and Growth of Acacia mangium Saplings in Acidic Soil

• Published in: Forests 2021-12, Vol.12 (12), p.1657
• Main Authors: Sethi, Debadatta, Subudhi, Sachidananda, Rajput, Vishnu D., Kusumavathi, Konathala, Sahoo, Tapas Ranjan, Dash, Subhaprada, Mangaraj, Satyabrata, Nayak, Dhirendra Kumar, Pattanayak, Sushanta Kumar, Minkina, Tatiana, Glinushkin, Alexey P., Kalinitchenko, Valery P.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acacia mangium; acid soil; Acidic soils; Agrochemicals; Arbuscular mycorrhizas; arbuscularmycorrhizae; Calcium; Fertilizers; Fruits; Fungi; infection; Inoculation; Lime; liming; Magnesium; micronutrient; Micronutrients; Mineralization; Morphology; Mustard; Mustard oil; Nitrogen; Nutrient availability; Nutrient uptake; Nutrients; Oil cake; Phosphorus; Rhizobium; Seeds; Soil chemistry; Soil lime; Soil pH; Soils; Sulfur; Supplements
• ISSN: 1999-4907; 1999-4907
• DOI: 10.3390/f12121657

Strong and healthy saplings are a prerequisite to establish a successful forest. Therefore, an attempt has been made to develop the best package for nutrient supplementation to raise healthy Acacia mangium saplings, especially in acidic soil. The seeds were sown in pots, receiving different combinations of Arbuscularmycorrhizal (AM), Rhizobium inoculation with application of lime, and mustard oil cake (MOC). The highest spore count and infection percentage (3220 kg−1 soil and 69) were recorded in the AM + MOC + R treated pot, whereas the lowest (2553 kg−1 soil and 37) were recorded in the AM + L treated pot. Nitrogen concentration and uptake in the sapling were higher in the Rhizobium-inoculated treatments than the uninoculated ones. The sulfur concentration and uptake were higher in the MOC-supplemented treatment. Similarly, the P, K, Ca, and Mg concentrations and uptakes were higher in the limed treatments than the unlimed ones. The micronutrient concentration and uptake were higher in the unlimed treatments compared to the lime practice. The concentration of N in Rhizobium-treated pots, P and K in lime-treated pots, and S in MOC-treated pots were increased, whereas the soil pH decreased in all treatments except in the integrated package (AM + MOC + R + L) after 120 days. The Ca and Mg were reduced in all treatments, whereas micronutrients were reduced in all packages except the control. Under different nutrient management practices, plant height and stem girth continuously increased by 9.5 to 12 cm and 3 to 4 times, respectively. The production of robust saplings required integrated application of lime, MOC, AM, and Rhizobium in an acid soil that facilitated better root growth with availability of adequate nutrients for saplings.