Effect of Microbial Inoculants on Uptake of Nutrient Elements in Two Cultivars of Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) in Saline Soils

Abstract

A greenhouse experiment was conducted in order to evaluate the interactive effects of microbial inoculants on uptake of nutrient elements (N, P, K, Ca, Mg, Na, Cl, Fe, Zn, Cu, Mn) in two cultivars of sunflower. The trials were carried out on saline (EC = 7.6 dS m-1) calcareous soils taken from Eshtehard (Karaj) region of Iran. In a factorial trial and completely randomized design (CRD), three levels of arbuscular mycorrhizal inoculants (non inoculation, inoculation withGlomus etunicatum and Glomus intradices) and four levels of Pseudomonas fluorescensinoculants (non inoculation and inoculation with Pseudomonas fluorescens strains 4, 9, 12) in two cultivars of sunflower with four replications per treatments were applied. Results revealed that all of the treatments increased the N uptake in Euroflor cultivar. Moreover, in Euroflor cultivar, inoculation with Pseudomonas fluorescens strains 9 and co-inoculation of Pseudomonas fluorescens strains 4 and Glomus intradices made a significant different in phosphorous uptake, while did not make any significant change in the Master cultivar. However, bacterial and fungal treatments significantly (P < 0.05) increased uptake of micro nutrients such as Fe, Zn and Mn.