Interaction Effects of Arbuscular Mycorrhiza Fungi and Soil Applied Herbicides on Plant Growth

Interaction between mycorrhizal fungi and herbicide application and their effects on plant growth are issues around which there is little information. Therefore, to determine the effect of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungus in alleviating the effects of herbicide stress on growth of maize and barley, two pot experiments were conducted in Shahrood University of Technology in 2009 and 2010. Factorial experiments were arranged in completely randomized design with three replications. Experimental factors were a combination of two factors: (1) non-mycorrhiza (control) and Glommusmosseae, Glommusintraradices and Glommusfasciculatum as mycorrhizal inoculums; (2) herbicide treatments, which included three levels of metribuzin (0, 175 and 350 g a.i. ha^?1). In the second experiment, factors examined were inoculated soil with mycorrhiza fungi at two levels (with and without Glommusintraradices) and four rates of metribuzin (0, 175, 350 and 525 g a.i. ha^?1) and two levels of iron (0 (control) and 20 mg pot^?1). The results showed that soil inoculated with mycorrhiza had significantly increased dry weight, height and chlorophyll content of maize and barley in the low herbicide concentrations (175 g a.i. ha^?1) compared to non-inoculated treatments. Based on our results, mycorrhiza fungi can alleviate crop stress due to low doses of metribuzin injury through increase in plant growth.