Effect of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi inoculation of rice seedlings at the nursery stage upon performance in the paddy field and greenhouse

We examined the effect of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi inoculation at the nursery stage on the growth and nutrient acquisition of wetland rice (Oryza sativa L.) under field and pot conditions. Seedlings were grown on γ-ray sterilized paddy soil in two types of nurseries, namely dry nursery and wet nursery, with or without arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) inoculation which was a mixture of indigenous AMF (Glomus spp.) spores collected from the paddy field. Five-to-six week old seedlings were transplanted to the unsterilized soil under field and pot, respectively. Mycorrhizal seedlings had higher shoot biomass under both nursery conditions 5 weeks after sowing. Mycorrhizal colonization and sporulation were 2 to 3 times higher in the dry nursery than the wet nursery at the transplanting stage. Mycorrhizal colonization of plants inoculated in the nursery remained higher than those not inoculated under both field and pot conditions. Sporulation after transplanting to field conditions was about 10 times higher than in the pot. Inoculated plants produced higher biomass at maturity under field conditions, and the grain yield was 14-21% higher than those not inoculated. Conversely, grain yield and shoot biomass were not significantly influenced by AMF colonization under pot conditions. For plants originating from the dry nursery, N, P, Zn and Cu concentrations of field-grown plants at harvest were significantly increased by preinoculation with AMF over those left uninoculated. We conclude that the AMF inoculation at the nursery stage under both dry and wet conditions increased growth, grain yield and nutrient acquisition of wetland rice under field conditions.