Isozyme Analysis of Jew’s Mallow and Garden Rocket Treated with AM Fungi, Bacillus Megaterium var. Phosphaticum Bacteria and Phosphorous Fertilizer under Sandy Soil Conditions

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Department of Plant Production - Vegetable, Faculty of Agriculture, Saba Basha, Alexandria University, Egypt.

2 Department of Soil and Agricultural Chemistry, Faculty of Agriculture, Saba Basha, Alexandria University, Egypt.

Abstract

Two pot experiments were conducted in the plant house at the faculty of Agriculture (Saba-Basha), Alexandria University, Egypt, during the autumn season of 2017/2018 to estimate the response of Jew`s mallow (Corchorus olitorius L.) cv. Balady and garden rocket (Eruca sativa Mill) cv. Balady to arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi inoculation and Bacillus megaterium var. phosphaticum (BMP) in combination with phosphorous rates on the vegetative growth characters. A completely randomized block design with four replicates was used. The experiments included twelve treatments combination for each of them. The combined effect of AM fungi, BMP bacteria and phosphorus fertilizer rates on plant height, shoot fresh and dry weight, root fresh and dry weight, and N, P, K, Zn, Mn and Fe content in Jew’s mallow and garden rocket was significantly superior over the solo effect of each of them and control. Application of 50% of phosphorus in combinations with AM and BMP to Jew’s mallow and garden rocket registered the highest growth characters and nutrient content of leaves. The banding pattern activity of the treatment AM+ BMP+ 50% P presented a unique marker band at seven loci Px.C1, Px.C2, Px.C3 and Px.C4 locus indicating that Px.A1, Px.A2 and Px.A3 loci are polymorphic specifically to the Garden rocket. Similarly, the peroxidase patterns in the Jew’s mallow leaves showed in total of three loci (Px.A2, Px.C1 and Px.A1) under AM+ BMP+ 50% P treatment. Biofertilizers such as AM fungi and BMP bacteria can reduce the inorganic phosphorous fertilizer requirements of Jew’s mallow and garden rocket up to 50% under the conditions of the present study.  Moreover, the peroxidase isoenzyme activity could be a reliable indicator for testing the genetic variability of biofertilizers and phosphorous fertilizers in Jew’s mallow and garden rocket) Balady sp < /em>.) germplasm

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