Isolation of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi and Evaluation its Effect on Plant Growth Over Chemical Fertilizers for Better Human Health

Background: Plants grown under the environment of chemical fertilizer exert ill effects on human health. The role of beneficial microorganisms can prove to be the most effective alternative to chemical fertilizers for enhancing growth and biomass production of crop plant. Therefore the present study has been undertaken to get better understand the effects of Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi over chemical fertilizers in enhancing the growth and biomass production of plants with aim for better human health. Materials and Methods: Arbuscular Mycorrhizal (AM) spores were isolated from rhizosheric soil by wet sieving and decanting method. The species of fungal spore were identified depending on morphological characteristics. To see the effect on plant growth, co-culture of AM fungal spores was performed with Zea mayes. Co-culture was done in six treatment groups where treatments (1, 2, and 3) were considered as control and treatments (4, 5, and 6) were sample. Results: Vesicles and arbuscules like structure were observed within the ischolar_main of Zea mayes. The shoot and ischolar_main weight of Treatments (T₁-T₆) was found 36.25±0.86g and 17.00±0.88g; 26.50±1.47g and 13.50±1.11g; 13.5±1.11g and 7.25±0.62g; 39.75±0.56 g and 20.5±0.57g; 33.75±0.41 g and 18.25±0.41g; 19.50±0.63 g and 10.5±0.42 g respectively. The mean weight of shoot and ischolar_main of Zea mayes in treatment 4 (T₄) were significantly (p<0.001) higher than treatment 1 (T₁). In case of T₅ and T₆, shoot and ischolar_main weight were also significantly higher than treatment 2 (T₂, p<0.001) and treatment 3 (T₃, p<0.001) respectively. Conclusion: When arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal spores are used with chemical fertilizers, it reduces the usage of chemical fertilizer and increase plant growth and biomass.