Microbial Population and Soil Enzyme Activities in the Rhizosphere of Groundnut Plants Treated with Compost Enriched with Optimum Levels of Microbial Inoculants

An investigation was carried out under green house condition to know the effect of enriched compost with different levels of Aspergillus awamori, Trichoderma harzianum and Glomus mosseae on microbial population and soil enzymatic activities in the rhizosphere of groundnut plants. Results revealed that acid phosphotase activity and dehydrogenase activity was recorded maximum (35.83 and 198.05 micro grams PNP/g soil, respectively) in the rhizosphere soil of plants inoculated with Aspergillus awamori(10^-8 /ml)+ Trichoderma harzianum(10^-4)+ Glomus mosseae(40spores/10gm soil inoculum)+compost(4g/kg soil),also more bacterial population(14X104CFU/ml)and maximum per cent mycorrhizal colonization(80.5%)was recorded in the ischolar_main bits of plants, however maximum mycorrhizal spore number (127 spores/50g soil)was recorded in the rhizosphere soil of plants treated with Aspergillus awamori (10^-8 /ml)+ Trichoderma harzianum(10^-4)+ compost(4g/kg soil)followed by Aspergillus awamori(10^-8 /ml)+ Trichoderma harzianum(10^-4)+ Glomus mosseae(40spores/10gm soil inoculum)+compost(4g/kg soil).where as alkaline phosphotase activity was recorded maximum (34.27micro gram PNP/g soil)in the soil treated with Aspergillus awamori(10^-8/ml)+ Trichoderma harzianum(10^-4)+ compost(4g/kg soil).Interestingly,maximum fungal population (10X102CFU/ml) recorded in the treatments included mycorrhizal fungi. In general, actinomycetes population was recorded in all the inoculated plants, but in 10-2 dilution maximum population recorded in the plants treated with Aspergillus awamori(10^-8 /ml)+ Trichoderma harzianum(10^-4)+ Glomus mosseae(40spores/10gm soil inoculum)+compost(4g/kg soil). Least were recorded in uninoculated control plants.