Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi Affect Seedling Growth of Melon Hybrid Cultivars

Hybrid melon cultivars (Super Magnum F-1, Extra Early Galia F-1, Rambo F-1 and Sempati F-1) were inoculated with 3 different AMF (Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi) [Gigaspora margarita (Gm), Glomus intraradices (Gi), and G. etunicatum (Ge)] in order to examine the effects of AMF on seedling growth in melon. The seedling traits, nutrient uptake, colonization, and relative mycorrhizal dependency (RMD) were assessed in the experiment. Mycorrhizal colonization of melon cultivars ranged from 38.9 to 54.9%. The nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium, magnesium, and manganese contents were affected by melon cultivars, AMF, or their combinations. Relative mycorrhizal dependency also varied widely; only half of the melon cultivar-mycorrhizae combinations showed positive mycorrhizal dependencies. The Gi inoculations had higher positive RMDs, while the Gm inoculations had lower negative RMDs. (c) 2013 Friends Science Publishers