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Dahanayake Nilanthi* and CJ Alawathugoda
1Department of Agricultural Biology, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Ruhuna, Mapalana, Kamburupitiya, Sri Lanka
Abstrsact
A greenhouse experiment was conducted to determine the influence of mycorrhizae as a substitute for inorganic fertilizer on growth and yield of two traditional rice (Oryza sativa L.) varieties namely, “Bathkiriel” and “Sinnanayam” and on soil microbial activity. The experiment was conducted in pots (30cmx 30cmx 45 cm) filled with paddy soil treated separately with four doses of inorganic fertilizers, i.e. the recommended dose of basal fertilizer UREA:TSP:MOP at 50:62.5:50kg/ha and top dressing Ureaat87.5kg/ha,½ and ¼ of the recommend doses of inorganic fertilizers, and no inorganic fertilizer. In addition commercially available mycorrhizae (diluted at 2g of mycorrhizae mixture /5L water) was added to all pots except those received the total dose of inorganic fertilizers. The above four treatments were replicated four times in a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with four replicates. The experiment revealed that there was no significant difference in all growth parameters in plants treated with recommended dose and those treated with 1/2 of recommended dose of inorganic fertilizer with standard dose of mycorrhizae. The highest soil microbial activity was recorded in soil treated with standard dose of mycorrhizae without inorganic fertilizer (5,660 CO2 mgkg-1of soil) as compared to those treated only with inorganic fertilizer (4,662 CO2 mgkg-1of soil). Mycorrhizae found to increase soil microbial activity significantly and complementary to inorganic fertilizer. It was concluded that 1/2 of the recommended dose of inorganic fertilizer with standard dose of mycorrhizae was the best fertilizer mixture out of the tested mixtures for traditional rice varieties “Bathkiriel” and “Sinnanayam”.
Key words: Mycorrhizae, Inorganic fertilizer, Rice variety Bathkiriel and Sinnanayam
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