Onions are highly responsive to endomycorrhizae and improved plant growth is among the benefits associated with this symbiosis, particularly in low phosphorus soils. Although this crop is grown extensively in organic soils, few studies have been conducted on these. Onion plants (Allium cepa L. cv. Norstar) were inoculated with Glomus aggregatum Schenck & Smith, Glomus clarum Nicolson & Schenck, Glomus fasciculatum Gerdemann & Trappe, Glomus intraradix Schenck & Smith and Glomus versiforme (Karst.) Berch and grown in the field and under controlled conditions to evaluate their efficiency in newly reclaimed organic soil of low P fertility. Three species were selected to evaluate the effects of introduced endomycorrhizal fungi effects and P fertilization (equivalent to 0, 24 and 48 kg P ha$ sp{-1}$) on the growth and mineral nutrition of onion plants. / Introducing endomycorrhizal fungi in non-sterile soil did not affect the growth and mineral nutrition of onion. Crop maturity was advanced when plants were inoculated, however. Increasing levels of P fertilization did not depress root colonization and onion growth was increased significantly at the highest rate only. These results suggest that higher levels than recommended could be used in this soil. Inoculation in $ gamma$-irradiated (10 kGy, $ sp{60}$Co) soil alleviated excessive Mn absorption by onion plants. Adding P fertilizer depressed growth and root colonization when plants were inoculated with G. clarum and G. intraradix and was related to the low irradiance levels used in this study. G. versiforme appeared to be the most efficient of the introduced species.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:QMM.69533 |
| Date | January 1993 |
| Creators | Grenier, Aline M. |
| Contributors | Stewart, Katrine A. (advisor) |
| Publisher | McGill University |
| Source Sets | Library and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Coverage | Master of Science (Department of Plant Science.) |
| Rights | All items in eScholarship@McGill are protected by copyright with all rights reserved unless otherwise indicated. |
| Relation | alephsysno: 001338409, proquestno: AAIMM87830, Theses scanned by UMI/ProQuest. |
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