College of Agriculture, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Bahadur Sub-campus Layyah, Pakistan
Research Article
Effects of Mesorhizobium ciceri and Biochar on the Growth, Nodulation and Antifungal Activity Against Root Pathogenic Fungi in Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.)
Author(s): Muhammad Shah Jahan, Umbreen Shahzad, Summar Abbas Naqvi, Ibrahim Tahir, Tahira Abbas, Mudassar Iqbal and Phoebe Nemenzo Calica*
This study was conducted to investigate the effects of the inoculation of Mesorhizobium ciceri on the nodulation,
growth and antagonistic expression against soil-borne fungal pathogens (Phytophthora medicaginis, Fusarium oxysporum
and Fusarium solani) on Cicer arietinum L. or commonly known as chickpea grown in vermiculite medium amended
with 5% green waste (GW) biochar. The combination of M. ciceri and biochar showed significant effect to chickpea
compared with other treatments and control plants in terms of nodulation. The chickpea inoculated with M. ciceri
and amended with biochar produced the highest nodule number with an average value of 110 nodules per plant
and with an average nodule fresh weight of 57.90 mg per plant at 60 days harvest. The other treatments (M. ciceri
only and biochar on.. View more»