• Vol. XI, Núm. 2 • Mayo-Agosto 2017 •48
Alimentos Artículo arbitrado
Resumen
La esterilización de sustratos para vivero disminuye la población
de microorganismos benéficos en el medio que rodea la raíz y
puede resultar en un pobre crecimiento de la planta; la
vermicomposta y los hongos micorrízicos arbusculares (HMA)
podrían mejorar su desarrollo. El objetivo de este experimento
fue analizar el efecto de la vermicomposta y la inoculación de
HMA sobre el crecimiento inicial de plántulas de durazno [Prunus
persica (L.) Batsch.] en sustrato esterilizado. Plántulas de
durazno germinadas en perlita estéril fueron distribuidas en cuatro
tratamientos resultado de la combinación de dos factores y dos
niveles cada uno: con/sin vermicomposta en el sustrato y con/
sin inoculación con HMA al momento del trasplante. Las plántulas
se distribuyeron completamente al azar dentro de un invernadero
de vidrio durante el estudio. La incorporación de vermicomposta
al sustrato y la inoculación de HMA, así como su combinación,
resultaron en un decremento de clorofila total (p < 0.05) a los
108 días después de plantación (DDP). Al final del experimento
(180 DDP), la inoculación con HMA resultó en una colonización
de raíces mayor al 70% de su longitud total, pero este efecto fue
eclipsado por la vermicomposta. El peso seco de tallo y raíz y el
diámetro de tallo fueron superiores (p < 0.01) con el uso de
vermicomposta, pero la inoculación de HMA no tuvo efecto en
estas variables. Se concluye que es más recomendable la
vermicomposta que la inoculación con HMA para estimular el
crecimiento de plántulas de durazno durante los primeros seis
meses en sustrato esterilizado.
Palabras clave: Prunus persica (L.) Batsch, Glomus spp,
fotosíntesis, fertilizante orgánico.
Abstract
Sterilization of nursery substrate materials decreases the
beneficial microorganisms in the surrounding root media and
may result in poor seedling growth; compost and arbuscular
mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) may improve the plantlet development.
This experiment aimed to analyze the effect of both AMF
inoculation and vermicompost for the initial peach [Prunus
persica (L.) Batsch.] seedling growth in sterilized substrate.
Peach seedlings germinated in sterilized perlite were distributed
into four resulting treatments from the combination of two factors
and two levels each: with/without vermicompost in the growing
media and with/without AMF inoculation at the transplanting
time. Seedlings were arranged completely randomized inside a
glasshouse throughout the study. Utilization of vermicompost in
the growing media and AMF inoculation, and their combination,
resulted in less total chlorophyll (p < 0.05) measured at 108
days after planting (DAP). At the end of the experiment (180
DAP), AMF inoculation resulted in root colonization greater than
70% of the total root length; however, this effect was eclipsed
by adding vermicompost to the substrate. Root and shoot dry
weights and also stem diameter were superior (p < 0.01) by
adding vermicompost to the growing substrate, but AMF
inoculation had no effect on these variables. It is concluded
that vermicompost addition to the substrate is preferable to
AMF inoculation in order to stimulate peach seedling growth
during the initial six months in sterilized substrates.
Keywords: Prunus persica (L.) Batsch, Glomus spp,
photosynthesis, organic fertilizer.
Crecimiento de plántulas de durazno con micorrizas
y vermicomposta
HORACIO ELISEO A LVARADO-RAYA1,2
_________________________________
1 UNIVERSIDAD AUTÓNOMA CHAPINGO. Área de Biología. Departamento de Preparatoria Agrícola. C.P. 52630. Texcoco, Estado de México.
México. 52 (595) 952-1500 Ext. 5289.
2 Dirección electrónica del autor de correspondencia: horacio_alvarado@hotmail.com.
Recibido: Febrero 21, 2017 Aceptado: Marzo 3, 2017
Peach seedling growth with mycorrhiza
and vermicompost
49
• Vol. XI, Núm. 2 • Mayo-Agosto 2017 •
S
by chloropicrin and methyl bromide, which is still used in some countries, causes stunting and
poor growth in peach seedlings [Prunus persica (L.) Batsch.], which may be related to mineral
deficiencies in plants (La Rue et al., 1975; Lambert et al., 1979).
Introduction
terilization of growing substrates is a necessary activity in seedling greenhouse
production to decrease soil borne diseases; however, this activity also could
negatively impact plant growth and development in the nursery. Chemical fumigation
Similarly, soils collected from peach
nurseries and either autoclaved at 105 oC (40
min), formaldehyde-treated or exposed to
ozone, yield stunted peach seedlings in pots
(Bingye and Shengrui, 1998). In some cases,
further analysis of treated substrates indicated
that elimination of beneficial microorganisms,
including mycorrhizal fungi, was the primary
factor in sterilized soils to cause stunting and
growth problems in peach seedlings (Lambert
et al., 1979).
After sterilization, soil replenishment with
beneficial microorganisms like arbuscular
mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) can be achieved by
artificially inoculating the substrate. La Rue et
al. (1975) found that after sterilization with methyl
bromide, only mycorrhizal inoculation of the
substrate can result in peach colonized roots.
Similarly, micropropagated plantlets of peach
grown in a sterilized peat-sand mix were able to
bear colonized roots only when inoculated with
the Glomus spp AMF during the early stage of
acclimation, while non-inoculated plantlets
showed no colonization (Rapparini et al., 1994).
In the lilaceous Brodiaea laxa ‘Queen Fabiola’,
mycorrhizal inoculation following substrate
pasteurization can increase root colonization by
between 20% and 45% compared to the non-
inoculated and pasteurized treatments (Scagel,
2004). In all these cases plant growth was
significantly improved as a result of the fungal
root colonization.
The effect of mycorrhizal inoculation in
nursery substrates on plant growth and
development has been studied in a broad sense.
AMF inoculation to the substrate results in
significantly higher levels of foliar zinc in peach
HORACIO ELISEO A LVARADO-RAYA. Peach seedling growth with mycorrhiza and vermicompost
seedlings compared to non-inoculated plants (La
Rue, 1975); however, this effect could not been
observed by inoculating apple (Malus pumila
Mill.) with AMF and no differences in any mineral
foliar content could be observed between
inoculated and non-inoculated plants three
months after transplanting to the field
(Plenchette et al., 1981). In another experiment
with Brodiaea laxa ‘Queen Fabiola’ grown in
pasteurized substrates during the entire first
growing cycle, AMF inoculation resulted in higher
corm concentrations of nitrogen (N), potassium
(K) and zinc (Zn), but not phosphorus (P) or
sulfur (S) (Scagel, 2004). Mycorrhizal influence
in plant growth has also been documented and
the information includes significant increases in
shoot height (La Rue et al., 1975; Plenchette et
al., 1981; and Rapparini et al., 1994), root
volume (Plenchette et al., 1981), stem diameter
(La Rue at al., 1975; Plenchette et al., 1981) and
leaf surface area and dry mass (Plenchette at
al., 1981).
Regarding compost or vermicompost, its
interest as a nursery substrate is more recent
than that of mycorrhizaes; nevertheless,
utilization of these materials as an option for
sustainable and safer horticultural crops has
increased rapidly in the last few decades. Most
growing media is based on peat and mineral
products; however, utilization of peat has led to
discussions on the deleterious environmental
effect that peat extraction can cause as peat
bogs regenerate too slowly to support its
extraction (Rivière et al., 2008). Because of this
concern, investigations are being conducted to
find peat substitutes as suitable growing media,
and compost or vermicompost are considered
• Vol. XI, Núm. 2 • Mayo-Agosto 2017 •50
HORACIO ELISEO ALVARADO-RAYA. Peach seedling growth with mycorrhiza and vermicompost
one of the major candidates to replace peat in
growing media mixtures (Lanzi et al., 2009).
Compost can increase cation exchange
capacity (CEC), pH, electrical conductivity (EC),
and mineral availability (N, P, K, Ca and Mg) in
substrates, thus offering better characteristics
to growing media than substrates based solely
on peat, perlite and vermiculite, even though it
may lower water-holding capacity (Moore, 2004).
Vermicomposting, a process whereby organic
residues are further broken down by earthworms,
can improve the compost characteristics by
making them more stable, reducing EC
(Lazcano et al., 2008) and increasing total N,
available P, exchangeable K, Ca and Mg
contents (Suthar and Singh, 2008).
Mycorrhizal inoculation is being used along
with compost or vermicompost in order to
improve plant mineral uptake and growth, and
diverse effects have been found. AMF like
Glomus intraradices can interact synergistically
with high humic content composts and enhance
onion plant growth (Linderman and Davis, 2001);
however, in peach x almond hybrid rootstocks
there is no synergistic effect for the mixture AMF-
compost; in this case, adding compost to the
growing media can even eclipse the enhancing
effect of mycorrhizal inoculation on shoot dry
weight and stem diameter (Estaún et al., 1999).
Similarly, AMF (Glomus spp.) applied along with
5 and 10 t ha-1 of rice straw either composted or
vermicomposted, resulted in no synergistic
effect on sorghum plant growth (Hameeda et
al., 2007). Apparently, the raw material for
compost or vermicompost, the composting
process, the compost rate, the crop species and
the AMF inoculum type and rate could together
play an important role in the effect of AMF-
compost/vermicompost mixtures on plant
development. There is not enough information
on the effect of the mixture AMF-vermicompost
on peach seedling growth and this information
could be important to make decisions about the
plant management at nurseries. The objective
of this research was to evaluate the effect of
vermicompost and the AMF Glomus spp. on
peach seedling growth on sterilized substrate
during the first six months after germination.
Materials and methods
The experiment was performed in a
glasshouse in central Mexico (19o 29’ 05’’ LN;
98o 53’ 11’’ LW; 2, 250 m a.s.l.). Temperatures
inside the glasshouse fluctuated between 20 and
23 oC during the experiment.
Vermicompost was made with oat straw
decomposed during the cultivation of the edible
Pleurotus fungus. Earthworm Eisenia foetida
was later added to the compost to stabilize the
product. A mixture of the AMF Glomus spp.
(Glomus albidum Walker & Rhodes, Glomus
diaphanum Schennck & Smith, and Glomus
claroide Morton & Walker) was used. This
particular mixture was isolated in a sandy soil
(pH 5.6) previously cultivated with bean in the
state of Zacatecas (north-central Mexico).
Inoculum consisted of sorghum-colonized roots
with 68.6% colonization and 285 Glomus spores
per 100 g of inoculum.
Peach seeds [Prunus persica (L.) Batsch]
from a commercial nursery were treated with a
solution of clorox 10% and distilled water, then
chilled for 500 h at 4 oC in autoclaved sand. After
chilling, seeds were moved into a glasshouse
and germinated in autoclaved expanded perlite.
After germination, 68 seedlings about 7.0 cm
tall were transplanted. Half of the seedlings were
transplanted into a growing media consisting of
organic forest soil, sand and expanded perlite
(1:1:1, v/v), while the remaining half of the
seedlings were transplanted in a growing media
consisting of vermicompost, organic forest soil,
sand and expanded perlite (3:1:1:1, v/v). Except
for vermicompost, all materials for growing
media, seed chilling and germination were
autoclaved at 1.4 kg cm-2 for three hours prior
to use. Each growing media (with and without
vermicompost) was analyzed for chemical
characteristics (Table 1). During transplanting,
half of the seedlings from each growing media
were inoculated with 10 g plant-1 of the AMF
Glomus spp. inoculum and the other half
remained non-inoculated. Thus, the experiment
consisted of four growing media treatments: no
vermicompost with no AMF inoculation (control),
51
• Vol. XI, Núm. 2 • Mayo-Agosto 2017 •
HORACIO ELISEO A LVARADO-RAYA. Peach seedling growth with mycorrhiza and vermicompost
no vermicompost with AMF inoculation,
vermicompost and no AMF inoculation, and
vermicompost with AMF inoculation. Inoculation
was done after the seedling was placed in the
corresponding growing media by positioning the
inoculum around the seedling root. Treatments
were arranged inside the glasshouse in a
completely randomized design. Experiment
began with 17 replications per treatment;
however, because of destructive samplings
throughout the experiment, replications for
treatments varied among sampling days.
Table 1. Chemical characteristics at the beginning of the trial for
two tested growing media effects on peach seedling growth.
z Growing media with vermicompost was made of vermicompost,
organic forest soil, sand and expanded perlite (3:1:1:1, v/v).
Growing media without vermicompost was made of organic
forest soil, sand and expanded perlite (1:1:1, v/v).
At 94 days after transplant (DAP), plant
height, stem diameter and number of leaves per
plant were determined on all seedlings of each
treatment. At 108 DAP, chlorophyll content, CO2
assimilation and stomatal conductance were
determined from five random plants of each
treatment. At the end of the experiment (180
DAP), plant height, stem diameter, root
colonization and leaf N, P and K concentration
were determined from seven seedlings of each
treatment. At this time, seedlings were separated
into roots and shoots, dried to constant weight
at 85 oC and dry weights determined. Leaves
were sent to laboratory for mineral analysis.
Foliar N, P and K were determined by micro-
Kjeldahl method (Chapman and Pratt, 1973), wet
digestion (Etchevers, 1987) and flame
photometry (Model 410 Flame Photometer;
Sherwood), respectively.
Collected peach roots at 180 DAP were
cleaned from substrate and maintained in FAA
(formaldehyde – acetic acid – ethanol). Root
colonization was measured based on Phillips
and Hayman (1970) procedure. Roots were
treated with a solution of KOH 10% and heated
in a pressurized oven at 7.03 kg cm-2 for 10
minutes. Then, roots were rinsed and treated
with HCl 10% for 15 min and added with trypan
blue 0.05% in lactoglycerol and heated at 7.03
kg cm-2 for 10 min. Roots were rinsed and
observed through a microscope and colonization
was estimated based on the number of root
segments observed and those which were
detected as colonized.
At 108 DAP two discs 3.46 cm2 each were
obtained from the seventh or eighth fully
extended leaf from the apex in each seedling.
Discs were placed into a flask with 5 mL acetone
80% and wrapped with aluminum foil until dark
centrifugation with an Eppendorf 5415C
centrifuge. Chlorophylls a and b were
determined with a spectrophotometer Hewlett
Packard 8453. In order to determine CO2
assimilation and stomatal conductance, two fully
expanded leaves from each replication were
analyzed with a LI-COR LI6200 as a closed
system and under full sun light (8:00 am
throughout to 10:00 am).
Data was analyzed by the ANOVA procedure
with the SAS program (SAS Institute Inc., Cary,
NC. USA) under a 2x2 factorial model. In the
event of mycorrhiza x vermicompost significant
interaction, further analysis was done and the
simple effects were detected. Means were
separated by the Tukey test.
• Vol. XI, Núm. 2 • Mayo-Agosto 2017 •52
HORACIO ELISEO A LVARADO-RAYA. Peach seedling growth with mycorrhiza and vermicompost
Results and discussion
Mycorrhizal inoculation and vermicompost
had no significant interaction effects on half of
the variables analyzed in this experiment. In the
case of plant height, chlorophyll content, root
AMF colonization and leaf N and P concentration,
an interaction effect was observed between AMF
inoculation and vermicompost (p < 0.05, 0.001,
0.0001 and 0.001, respectively). In this case,
every combination from the levels of both
factors was analyzed and compared to each
other in order to make the most appropriate
conclusions.
The effect of treatments on plant height
observed at 94 DAP was still evident at 180 DAP,
thus showing the consistency of the seedling
response to AMF inoculation and vermicompost
(Figure 1). In this case, the effect of mycorrhizal
inoculation depended on the presence of
vermicompost in the substrate as AMF
inoculation resulted in statistically taller shoots
only when plants growing in media without
vermicompost are compared. When vermi-
compost was added to the growing media,
shoot height almost doubled that in peach plants
growing in media without vermicompost;
however, AMF inoculation resulted in no
statistical differences for shoot height when
plants growing in media with vermicompost are
compared.
Mycorrhizal inoculation has been found to
enhance peach growth in substrates with low P
and K but its effect disappears when plants are
grown in compost media, which results in higher
amounts of N and P in the substrate (Estaún et
al., 1999). Also, mycorrhizal inoculation improved
peach seedling growth in autoclaved soils
(Bingye and Shengrui, 1998). In this experiment,
growing media without vermicompost was
autoclaved before transplanting peach
seedlings and some improvement of plant
growth was expected as a result of AMF
inoculation.
Figure 1. Shoot height of peach seedlings as affected by
vermicompost addition to the growing substrate and AMF
inoculation at transplanting time. A, 94 days after transplanting
(n = 17); B, 180 days after transplanting (n = 7). M0C0, control;
M1C0, AMF-inoculated in substrate without vermicompost;
M0C1, non-AMF-inoculated in substrate with vermicompost;
and M1C1 AMF-inoculated in substrate with vermicompost.
Different letters in the date indicate statistical differences by
Tukey Test ( = 0.05).
When mycorrhizal plants are compared to
nonmycorrhizal plants, no differences in stem
diameter are detected. This is true for plants at
94 DAP (Figure 2) and also for plants at 180
DAP (Table 2); however, AMF inoculation did
result in statistically more leaves per shoot
(Figure 3) and statistically less chlorophylls
concentration compared with control plants
(Figure 4). It appears that more leaves in AMF
inoculated plants although with less chlorophylls
were just enough to stimulate shoot length but
not diameter increases. Rapparini et al. (1994)
reported significant increases in leaf fresh weight
and internode length in AMF inoculated peach
plants during the first year of growth compared
with non-AMF inoculated plants.
53
• Vol. XI, Núm. 2 • Mayo-Agosto 2017 •
Figure 2. Stem diameter of peach seedlings at 94 days after
planting as affected by vermicompost addition to the growing
substrate and AMF inoculation at transplanting time. Different
letters in the factor indicate statistical differences by Tukey
Test ( = 0.05; n = 14).
Table 2. Dry weights and stem diameter of peach seedlings as
affected by AMF inoculation at transplanting and vermicompost
addition to the growing substrate. Data at 180 days after
transplanting is the mean (n = 7).
ns, non-significant; and **, high significance (p < 0.01) by Tukey test.
Unlike AMF inoculation, vermicompost
addition to the substrate resulted in highly
significant differences in both stem diameter and
leaves per shoot (Table 2; Figures 2 and 3). The
main benefits from adding vermicompost to soils
are the increase in organic matter, which
improves soil biological activity, and soil physical
characteristics including soil respiration, enzyme
activity, nitrification rate, water infiltration,
hydraulic conductivity and water holding capacity
(Raviv, 2005) and finally resulting in better plant
growth. In this experiment, AMF inoculation did
not affect dry weights from shoot, root nor root
HORACIO ELISEO A LVARADO-RAYA. Peach seedling growth with mycorrhiza and vermicompost
to shoot ratio (Table 2), meaning that the increase
in leaves per shoot which resulted from AMF
inoculation was not sufficient to alter shoot dry
weight in these plants. On the other hand, when
we compare peach plants grown in media with
vermicompost with those grown in media
without vermicompost, significant increases in
shoot and root dry weights are observed. These
increases ranged from 565% to 899% for root
and shoot dry weights respectively and resulted
in a significant decrease in root to shoot dry
weight ratio for plants grown with vermicompost.
Figure 3. Number of leaves per shoot of peach seedlings at 94
days after planting as affected by vermicompost addition to
the growing substrate and AMF inoculation at transplanting
time. Different letters in the factor indicate statistical differences
by Tukey ( = 0.05). n = 34.
Figure 4. Root colonization by AMF (Glomus spp.) in peach
seedlings as affected by vermicompost addition to the growing
substrate and AMF inoculation at transplanting time. Data from
plants after 180 days of transplanting. M0C0, control; M1C0,
AMF-inoculated in substrate without vermicompost; M0C1, non-
AMF-inoculated in substrate with vermicompost; and M1C1
AMF-inoculated in substrate with vermicompost. Different letters
indicate statistical differences by Tukey ( = 0.05). n = 7.
• Vol. XI, Núm. 2 • Mayo-Agosto 2017 •54
Table 3. Leaf element (N, P, and K) concentrations (dry weight
basis) in peach seedlings grown in media either with or without
vermicompost and either inoculated or not inoculated with the
Glomus AM fungi. Data from plants after 180 days from
germination/inoculation (n = 7).
z N was determined by titration with H2SO4 (0.047N) after digestion
with H2SO4 and distillation in NaOH (40%); P was measured with
a spectrophotometer after wet digestion; and K was measured
by flame spectrometry.
ns, non-significant; *, significant (p < 0.05); and **, high significance
(p < 0.01) by Tukey test.
Previous research has shown a decrease
in leaf N concentration in peach in response to
mycorrhizal inoculation (La Rue et al., 1975) and
there is evidence that AMF inoculation does not
promote N acquisition in some herbaceous
perennial plants and can even suppress the plant
acquisition for this mineral (Reynolds et al.,
2005). In this experiment, AMF inoculation
showed significant effect on shoot height but not
on dry matter distribution (Figure 1 and Table 2)
meaning that growth of mycorrhizal peach
seedlings was supported more by cell elongation
and water than by assimilates including all N
forms.
When plants grown in substrate without
vermicompost are compared, mycorrhizal
inoculation also had significant effect on leaf P
concentration as AMF inoculated plants had
higher leaf P concentration than non-AMF
inoculated plants (Table 3). Mycorrhizal fungi are
HORACIO ELISEO A LVARADO-RAYA. Peach seedling growth with mycorrhiza and vermicompost
known as symbiotic microorganisms which
improve plant P uptake. Phosphorous is a low
mobile mineral in the soil and depletes rapidly
near the root system and the beneficial effect of
mycorrhizal fungi on P plant uptake arises from
the rapid growth of the extraradical mycelium
beyond its depletion zone (Kaschuk et al., 2009).
Regarding K, mycorrhizal inoculation did not
affect its leaf concentration. Previous works
have shown that mycorrhizal inoculation may
not affect the leaf concentration of this mineral
neither in peach (La Rue et al., 1975) nor in
Citrus tangerine seedlings at moderate
temperatures (Wu and Zou, 2010). The
beneficial effect of the mycorrhizal inoculation
on K uptake might be found when plants are
grown under certain stress factors like
temperature in citrus (Wu and Zou, 2010),
salinity in tomato (Hajiboland et al., 2010) and
drought in Arbutus unedo (Navarro-García et al.,
2011). In this experiment, mineral status and
salinity of the substrate, as well as temperature
in the glasshouse and irrigation schedule were
not stress factors; thus, peach seedlings might
have absorbed K without limits.
In this experiment, vermicompost addition
to the substrate resulted in significantly higher
concentrations N and K in peach leaves but did
not affect P leaf concentration. Other authors
mention no effect of compost on peach N, P
and K leaf concentrations during the first three
years of growth (Baldi et al., 2006). Also, other
authors found a linear increase in foliar N and P
as a result of increasing the rate of composted
turkey litter in the substrate for potted
Cotoneaster and Hemerocallis, but foliar K was
not affected (Tyler et al., 1993). Compost effect
on plant depends upon its quality, which results
from the material and process used during
composting, thus meaning that compost quality
may be too variable (Raviv, 2005).
Regarding root colonization, AMF inoculated
plants growing in media without vermicompost
resulted in 76% of the root colonized by the
fungus after six months from inoculation (Figure
4). Previous reports had mentioned that peach
is heavily colonized by the AMF Glomus spp.,
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• Vol. XI, Núm. 2 • Mayo-Agosto 2017 •
leading to root colonization from 60% to 71%
depending on the peach genotype (Traquair and
Berch, 1988). This high root colonization by
Glomus spp. was also observed in seven-
month-old peach plants growing in a sterilized
peat-sand media (Rapparini et al., 1994).
Therefore, such high root colonization by the
AMF was expected in this experiment with
autoclaved substrates without vermicompost;
however, when we compare inoculated plants
growing in substrate with vermicompost to those
inoculated plants growing in substrate without
vermicompost, it can be observed that adding
vermicompost to the substrate resulted in
statistically lower root AMF colonization.
Regarding this, some authors had found that high
organic matter levels in substrates are less
conductive to AMF colonization in peach
(Morrison et al., 1993; Estaún et al., 1999). Non-
inoculated plants with vermicompost also
resulted in 29.2% of root colonized by the AM
fungus which was expected as vermicompost
was not autoclaved.
Control plants resulted in higher concen-
trations of both chlorophylls a and b and,
consequently, with higher concentration of total
chlorophyll (Figure 5).
These plants were always the shorter plants
throughout the experiment (Figure 1) and had
one of the higher N leaf contents (Table 2).
Nitrogen is necessary for chlorophyll synthesis
(Kaschuk et al., 2009) and the higher nitrogen
in those control plants could lead to higher
chlorophyll synthesis; additionally, the more
intensive growth in AMF inoculated plants and
all those plants grown in substrate with
vermicompost could result in a dilution effect of
this pigment and less concentration per foliar
area registered in the tallest plants.
Intensive growth also results in more
demand for carbohydrates as the sink strength
increases and this can result in photosynthesis
increases (Kaschuk et al., 2009); however, in
this experiment, the lesser concentrations of
chlorophylls in those plants with more intensive
growth compared with the control plants could
eclipse this effect (Figure 6B).
Figure 5. Total chlorophyll (A), chlorophyll a (B), and chlorophyll
b (C) contents in peach seedlings leaves as affected by
vermicompost addition to the growing substrate and AMF
inoculation at transplanting time. Data from plants after 108
days of transplanting. M0C0, control; M1C0, AMF-inoculated
in substrate without vermicompost; M0C1, non-AMF-
inoculated in substrate with vermicompost; and M1C1 AMF-
inoculated in substrate with vermicompost. Different letters
in the chlorophyll type indicate statistical differences by
Tukey ( = 0.05). n = 5.
HORACIO ELISEO A LVARADO-RAYA. Peach seedling growth with mycorrhiza and vermicompost
• Vol. XI, Núm. 2 • Mayo-Agosto 2017 •56
Contrary to other reports which have found
a positive effect of the AMF Glomus on stomatal
conductance in plants like tomato (Hajiboland
at al., 2010) and chili (Manjarrez-Martínez et al.,
1999), in this experiment, AMF inoculated peach
plants showed a lower stomatal conductance
when compared with non-AMF inoculated ones
(Figure 6A). Broadley et al. (2001) found that leaf
limited N is related to lower stomatal conductance
in lettuce. These authors explained this relation
on the role that N may have in leaf cell osmosis
as N may act, in NO3
- form, as an osmolite or as
a signaling molecule. Comparing mycorrhizal to
non-mycorrhizal plants in this experiment, leaf N
concentrations were statistically lower in
mycorrhizal plants and these plants also had less
chlorophyll and lower stomatal conductance.
Figure 6. Stomatal conductance (A) and photosynthesis rate (B) in
peach seedlings as affected by vermicompost addition to the
growing substrate and AMF inoculation at transplanting time.
Data from plants after 108 days from transplanting. Different letters
indicate statistical differences by Tukey test ( = 0.05; n = 5).
Conclusions
Both, AMF inoculation at transplanting time
and vermicompost addition to the growing
substrate increased shoot height in peach
seedlings grown under a glasshouse, but
vermicompost effects were more evident than
those from AMF inoculation. The number of
leaves per shoot was also increased by both
AMF inoculation and vermicompost; however,
these treatments had no effects on plant
photosynthesis. Nevertheless, vermicompost-
grown plants had higher dry weights for shoot
and root which was not observed in AMF-
inoculated plants.
Vermicompost in the growing substrate
negatively affected root colonization by the AM
fungi and increased N and K leaf concentration
in those inoculated plants; however, vermi-
compost could not increase the concentration
of N and P in the absence of mycorrhizal fungi.
Vermicompost also eclipsed the benefit from
mychorrizal fungi on P uptake.
In order to stimulate peach seedling growth
in the nursery after sterilizing growing materials,
vermicompost addition to the substrate appears
more recommended than AMF inoculation;
however, because of the high interactions
between AMF-inoculation and vermicompost
addition to the growing substrate on some
important growth and physiological variables, it
is highly recommended to study the causes of
these interactions in genotypes different from
the one used in this experiment.
Acknowledges
To Dr. Alejandro Alarcon and the Center for
Soil Sciences at the Colegio de Posgraduados,
Mexico, for advising this research regarding
mycorrhizal colonization assessing and for
providing the AMF inoculum. Also, to M.C.
Claudio Pérez Mercado and the Fruit Crop
Nutrition Laboratory at the Plant Science
Department of the Universidad Autonoma
Chapingo, for their collaboration in plant tissue
analysis.
HORACIO ELISEO A LVARADO-RAYA. Peach seedling growth with mycorrhiza and vermicompost
57
• Vol. XI, Núm. 2 • Mayo-Agosto 2017 •
Este artículo es citado así:
Alvarado-Raya, H. E. 2017. Peach seedling growth with mycorrhiza and vermicompost. TECNOCIENCIA Chihuahua
11(2):48-57.
HORACIO ELISEO A LVARADO-RAYA. Peach seedling growth with mycorrhiza and vermicompost
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Resumen curricular del autor
HORACIO ELISEO ALVARADO RAYA . Realizó sus estudios de licenciatura en el Departamento de Fitotecnia de la Universidad Autónoma
Chapingo (México), graduándose como Ingeniero Agrónomo en 1989. Obtuvo el grado de Maestro en Ciencias por el Departamento
de Fruticultura del Colegio de Posgraduados (México) en 1997, donde realizó estudios sobre el efecto de promotores de floración
en la salida de letargo y dimensiones del ovario en ciruelo japonés. Estudió la relación fuente-demanda en la floración y fructificación
de frambuesa roja durante sus estudios de doctorado en el Departamento de Ciencias Hortícolas de la Universidad de Florida (EE.
UU) y obtuvo el grado de Doctor por ese departamento en 2006. Realizó una estancia de investigación en el Departamento de
Biosistemas e Ingeniería Agrícola de la Universidad de Kentucky (EE. UU) en 2014, durante la cual investigó factores para la emisión
de Gases con Efecto Invernadero (GEI) a partir de compostas. Ha sido integrante del Sistema Nacional de Investigadores
(Candidato de 2008 a 2012). Actualmente es profesor de Biología y Fruticultura en el Departamento de Preparatoria Agrícola y en
la Carrera de Agrónomo en Horticultura Protegida de la Universidad Autónoma Chapingo. Realiza investigación en fisiología y
fenología de frutales, producción orgánica y emisiones de GEI. Ha codirigido dos tesis de maestría y dirigido cinco tesis de
licenciatura. Es autor y coautor de 12 artículos científicos en revistas nacionales e internacionales y dos capítulos de libro.
Este artículo es citado así:
Alvarado-Raya H. E. 2017. Peach seedling growth with mycorrhiza and vermicompost. TECNOCIENCIA Chihuahua
11(2):48-57.
