Effectiveness of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungus Seed Coating for Storage and Uptake Nutrient P Sweet Corn Plants

Abstract

The aim of this study was to find out 1) the effect of adhesive on corn seed quality and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus (AMF) viability during storage, and 2) the effect of AMF coating method and fertilization P on uptake nutrient P, growth and production of sweet corn plants. This study is devided into two experiments: 1) The effect of adhesive on corn seed quality and AMF viability during storage and 2) The effect of AMF coating on the availability of P, growth, and production of corn plants. The first experiment used Split Plot Design with randomized complete. The first factor is storage period (0, 4, 8, 12, 16 weeks) as the main plot and the second factor is adhesive formulation (without coating, sodium alginate + AMF, gum arabic + AMF, and tapioca + AMF) as subplot. The seconds experiment was done using randomized complete block design with two factors. The first factor is the adhesive formulation (without AMF coating, sodium alginate + AMF, gum arabic + AMF, and tapioca + AMF) and the second factor is the dose of P2O5 fertilizer (no fertilizer, 60 kg ha-1 P2O5, and 120 kg ha-1 P2O5). The results showed that seed coating with sodium alginate, gum arabic, and tapioca gave the same effect on the seed germination. The seed germination decreased significantly at 12 weeks after the storage. In the germination speed, the effect of gum arabic and tapioca same with control, whereas germination speed of sodium alginate was lower. The best adhesive to maintaining the germination of AMF was sodium alginate. The germination of AMF can be maintained up to 16 weeks by 70%. Treatment seed coating with tapioca showed that highest Pavailable in the planting medium, P-content in the seed, and AMF infection in the roots after corn is harvested.