In: Sydowia 71, (2019): 279-284, ISSN 0082-0598, DOI 10.12905/0380.sydowia71-2019-0279, Published online on January 13, 2020

Influence of vermiwash, vermicompost tea and vermicompost on arbuscular mycorrhizal colonization and biomass of finger millet

Rajendran Suresh, Vivek Amalan, Revanna Ashwin, Davis J. Bagyaraj & Radha D. Kale

Suresh R., Amalan V., Ashwin R., Bagyaraj D.J. & Kale R.D. (2019) Influence of vermiwash, vermicompost tea and vermicompost on arbuscular mycorrhizal colonization and biomass of finger millet. – Sydowia 71: 279-284.

Investigations on the influence of vermi-products on arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi is scanty. In the present study influence
of vermiwash seed treatment alone and in combination with vermiproducts viz. vermicompost tea, vermiwash and vermicompost
added to the substrate on mycorrhizal root colonization and biomass of finger millet (Eleusine coracana L.) by AM
fungi belonging to different genera and species was investigated. Ambispora leptoticha, Scutellospora calospora, Funneliformis
mosseae and Gigaspora gigantia were the four AM fungi used in the experiment. Vermiwash seed treatment significantly enhanced
mycorrhizal root colonization compared to seeds treated with water. Addition of vermiwash, vermicompost tea and vermicompost
to the substrate in addition to vermiwash seed treatment significantly improved mycorrhizal root colonization, compared
to the seed treatment with vermiwash alone. The same trend was observed in the mycorrhizal spore numbers in the substrate.
Vermicompost addition to substrate in addition to vermiwash seed treatment increased the plant dry weight by 42 % on
an average for all the 4 AM fungi studied, compared to vermiwash seed treatment alone.

Keywords: AM fungi, Finger Millet, Vermi products.