• Soil Health
• Sustainability
• University of Saskatchewan

Objective

To assess the growth promotion characteristics of commercially available arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) inoculants as compared to local inoculum sources (i.e., AMF isolated from Saskatchewan soils). To assess the impact of AMF inoculation on populations and colonization success by indigenous AMF species. To examine the impact of soil and climate on the persistence of introduced commercial AMF isolates. To examine the influence of AMF inoculant rate on growth promotion, and competition with other indigenous AMF, and determine the economic viability of using an AMF inoculant.

Outcome

Specific responses to arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) inoculation varied depending on the AMF species, host plant, soil type and environmental conditions of the experiment. The results suggest that development and use of mixed tank inoculants might be desirable both from ecological and agronomic perspectives. The introduction of AMF commercial inoculants provides another tool for producers in nutrient management for pulse crop production. In pulse crop production, these results suggest that AMF also play a role in enhancing nodulation. It was observed that AMF enhanced the benefits associated with application of phosphorus fertilizer at relatively low rates.

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