The Effect of vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhiza on the plant growth and yield on cucumber plants

ABSTRACT MSc THESIS The Effect of Vesicular-Arbuscular Mycorrhiza on the Plant Growth and Yield on Cucumber Plants Sibel ÇI?ŞAR DEPARTMENT OF HORTICULTURE INSTITUTE OF NATURAL AND APPLIED SCIENCES UNIVERSITY OF ÇUKUROVA Supervisor: Assoc.Prof.Dr. Nebahat SARI Year: 1997, Pages: 84 Jury : Assoc.Prof.Dr. Nebahat SARI Prof.Dr. Kazım ABAK Assoc.Prof.Dr. Ibrahim ORTAŞ In this study, investigation of the effects of vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhiza on the growth and yield on cucumber plants were determined This experiment was carried out in 1996-1997 growing period in a greenhouse and laboratories of The University of Çukurova Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Horticulture, Soil Science and Field Crop. The experiments were repeated for two times as spring and autumn experiment. In study, on spring growing Jest Fi and on autumn growing Yayla Fi varieties were used. Glomus mosseae and a mix of Glomus mosseae and Glomus fasciculatum were used as mycorrhiza inoculum. Control, steriled, fumigated and the soils which obtained by adding mycorrhiza to those three mediums were used as growing medium obtained from 1:1:1 (Garden soil: Manure: River Sand) soil. In experiment, of plant length, plant diameter, number of nodes, root length, hypocotyl length, cotyledon length, cotyledon diameter, leaf wet and dry weight, body wet and dry weight, root wet and dry weight and level of chlorophyll observed and measured to determine to investigate the effects of VAM on the seedling growth. In grenhouse, plant length, plant diameter measured and number of nodes counted for 15 days periods to IIIinvestigate plant growth. Fruit harvest and analysises were made to find the effect of mycorrhiza on the size of fruit. On the other hand, to examine the biomas measurements and the feed elements which the plants used; P, Zn, Mn, Fe and Cu analysises were made. Also, total root and % infected roots and leaf area measured. The result of the experiment; for the yield, the difference between treatments were not important for statistics. In sprig experiment, the highest yield (2.16 kg/plant) was taken from the plants which growth on mycorrhiza inoculated in steril material. In autumn experiment, the highest yield was (0.99 kg/plant) also obtained in mychorrhiza treatment The mycorrhiza inoculation effected affirmative on the control and sterilization treatments. Keywords: Cucumber, Glomus mosseae. Glomus fasciculatum, greenhouse growing, yield, plant growth IV