ICOM1 Abstract
#8-Applications
DORIS C.N. CHANG1, S.W. LEU1 & S.R. CHANG JAN2. 1.Depratment of
Horticulture, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC (10617) &
2Crop Improvement Department, Tao Yuang Agricultural Improvement
Station, Tao Yuang, Taiwan, ROC.-VAM Symbiosis in Plug System May
Benefit Vegetable Production.
The inoculation of VAM fungi (Glomus spp. or Gigaspora spp.) in plug
system for the growing of vegetable seedlings showed great potential for
practical use. Such as asparagus, cucumber, eggplant, tomato and
watermelon. The beneficial effects which the mycorrhizal vegetable
seedlings resulted were as following:
1. increased plant height, leaf area and plant weight. 2. Increased
transplanting survival rate. 3. Earlier flowering and fruit production.
4. Decreased the fruit drop. 5. Increased total fruit production. 6.
Prolonged the productive period for the crop. 7. Decreased the
application of phosphate fertilizer. The VAMF inoculation should be done
during seed sowing in the plug. The growing of mycorrhizal tomato
seedlings was recommended as following: In a 128 plug, use BVB#4 and
vermiculite #2 as the growth medium, inoculate about 40-50 spores in the
middle of each plug under the seed, then cover it. Apply Johnson
solution once a week, but contained only 1/4 (less than 20 ppm) of
phosphate fertilizer. Seedlings grow faster than tomato (e.g. cucumber,
watermelon) may choose bigger size of plug and inoculate more spores. In
Taiwan, each mycorrhizal watermelon seedling could sell 1 dollar more
than each non-mycorrhizal control. The mycorrhizal seedlings had
resulted in beneficial effect for vegetable production.