title: Foliar spray with vermiwash modifies the Arbuscular mycorrhizal dependency and nutrient stoichiometry of Bhut Jolokia (Capsicum assamicum).
abstract: Vermiwash (VW), a liquid extract obtained from vermicomposting beds, is used as an organic fertilizer for crop plants. The current study investigated the effect of a vermiwash foliar spray on the response of bhut jolokia (Capsicum assamicum) exposed to two different arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF: Rhizophagus irregularis, RI and G. mosseae, GM) in acidic soil under naturally ventilated greenhouse conditions. The VW spray significantly influenced the growth of plants receiving the dual treatment of AMF+VW. Plant growth was more prominent in the GM+VW treatment group than that in the RI+VW treatment group. The plant-AMF interactions in relation to growth and nutrient requirements were also significantly influenced by the application of VW. Interestingly, the VW treatment appeared to contribute more N to plants when compared to that under the AMF treatment, which led to changes in the C:N:P stoichiometry in plant shoots. Furthermore, the increased potassium dependency, as observed in the case of the dual treatments, suggests the significance of such treatments for improving crop conditions under salt stress. Overall, our study shows that the VW foliar spray modifies the response of a crop to inoculations of different AMF with regard to growth and nutrient utilization, which has implications for the selection of an efficient combination of nutrient source for improving crop growth.
authors.affiliation: Defence Research Laboratory, Defence Research & Development Organisation, Post Bag 2, Tezpur, Assam, India.
authors.forename: Mohammad Haneef
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.affiliation: Defence Research Laboratory, Defence Research & Development Organisation, Post Bag 2, Tezpur, Assam, India.
authors.forename: Mukesh K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Meghvansi
authors.affiliation: Defence Research Laboratory, Defence Research & Development Organisation, Post Bag 2, Tezpur, Assam, India.
authors.forename: Rajeev
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gupta
authors.affiliation: Defence Research Laboratory, Defence Research & Development Organisation, Post Bag 2, Tezpur, Assam, India.
authors.forename: Vijay
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Veer
authors.affiliation: Directorate General of Life Sciences, Defence Research & Development Organisation, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Lokendra
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.affiliation: Department of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Gauhati University, Guwahati, Assam, India.
authors.forename: Mohan C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Kalita
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002212:Capsicum / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000382:microbiology*; D002244:Carbon / Q000378:metabolism; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D038821:Mycorrhizae / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000378:metabolism; D009835:Oligochaeta / Q000502:physiology*; D010758:Phosphorus / Q000378:metabolism; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000502:physiology*; D012987:Soil; D013172:Spores, Fungal / Q000166:cytology / Q000254:growth & development
chemical_list: D012987:Soil; D010758:Phosphorus; D002244:Carbon; D009584:Nitrogen