The Role of Vesicular-Arbuscular Mycorrhizas (VAM) In the Phosphorus Nutrition of Cowpea (Vigna Unguiculata (L.) Walp.)

Abstract

An experiment was conducted to establish the role of VAM in the phosphorus nutrition and early growth of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L) Walp.) cv. Vita 4 in a podzolic soil (Haplustult). The experiment involved four treatments: (1) plants grown in unsterilized soil adequately supplied with phosphorus (240 kg P ha-I ), (2) plants grown in unsterilized soil with low phosphorus (10 kg P ha-1), (3) and (4) plants grown in methyl bromide sterilized soil with low phosphorus (10 kg P ha-1). Plants in treatments (1), (2) and (3) were inoculated with Bradyrhizobium. A series of harvests was taken from 14 to 42 days after sowing; 15 harvests at two-day intervals from treatment (2) and 5 harvests at 7-day intervals from the other treatments.