Mycorrhizal Development and Phosphorus Concentration in selected Kenyan Sorghum Cultivars
Date
2015-08-19Author
Rasowo, Brenda
Muthuri, Jacinta
Ndiema, Philip
Onkware, Augustino
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This study was carried out on sorghum genotypes that exhibited significant difference in growth and
production on P-deficient soils. The objective was to find out if the genotypes developed different levels of
mycorrhizal associations and tissue phosphorus. Results showed that plants in unfertilized soils
developed extensive mycorrhizae than those in fertilized soils, no significant differences was observed in
the extent of mycorrhizal development among cultivars grown in P-fertilized soils. The cultivars in
unfertilized soils responded differently to mycorrhizal colonization, those with high level of mycorrhizal
development increased growth compared to those that had low levels of mycorrhizal development in the
unfertilized soils. The cultivars also responded differently to phosphorus concentration in their tissues.
Phosphorus fertilizer apparently increased number of leaves and sorghum plant height. There was no
relationship between phosphorus concentration in soil and level of mycorrhizal development though
fertilizer significantly suppressed the level of mycorrhizal development in the plants