VETIVER GRASS PERFORMANCE UNDER COMPOST AND MYCORRHIZA TREATMENTS

Y.B Oyeyiola, E.A Ewetola and J.O Ogunrinde

 Department of Agronomy

 Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, Oyo State, Nigeria

 E-mail: yettyjooda@yahoo.com

ABSTRACT

The influence of compost and Glumus clarum arbuscular mycorrhiza in sterilized and non – strerilized soils on the mycorrhiza infection rate (MIR) and biomass yield of vetiver grass was studied over twelve weeks. The treatment consisted of a factorial combination of two soil conditions (sterilized and non-sterilized), two levels of mycorrhiza inoculation (inoculated and non-inoculated) and four levels of compost amendment (0. 2.5, 5.0 and 7.5 tons/ha). The experiment was laid out in randomized complete block design with three replications. Analysis of variance showed that compost amendment significantly influenced MIR and dry biomass yield but not with the fresh biomass yield. The dry biomass yield of the vetiver grass responded differently to mycorrhiza treatment based on the different compost rates with best performance obtained from inoculated samples that received 5.0 tons/ha. The combined effect of mycorrhiza treatment and different soil conditions was only significant on dry and fresh root weights with inoculated samples performing better in sterilized soils.

Keyword: Mycorrhiza, sterilized soil, vetiver grass, inoculation.