Synergistic effect of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and poultry manure to significantly increase proximal structure and physiological parameters of Cucurbita maxima and Telfairia occidentalis under soil salinity

This research was carried out to assess the potential impacts of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) complex (Glomus geosporum and Rhizophagus irregularis) synergy with poultry manure (PM) on the survival of Cucurbita maxima and Telfairia occidentalis grown under salt stress conditions. This experiment was set up in a completely randomized design with all treatments replicated thrice for both test plants. Analysis of the saline and garden soils used in this study revealed significant (P ≤ 0.05) variations in their soil physico-chemical parameters. Increase in parameters such as pH (7.75 for saline soil; 6.78 for garden soil), EC (SS 7.80 dS.m.-1; GS 0.32) and Ex Na+ (SS 8.81 cmol.kg-1; GS 0.4181 cmol.kg-1) was observed in the saline soil while there was a decrease in organic carbon, total nitrogen and available phosphorus in saline soil. Proximate analysis of C. maxima and T. occidentalis leaves revealed that fiber, carbohydrate, and caloric value were slightly reduced in saline soil treatments while ash, protein and lipids contents were slightly increased. AMF inoculation and PM application had significant effect on proximate composition of these plant leaves but caloric value which was significantly (P ≤ 0.05) increased in non-saline soil treatments. Physiological parameters such as leaf turgid weight (LTW), leaf relative water content (LRWC), vigor index (VI), and salt tolerance index (STI) were significantly reduced by salinity, while electrolyte leakage (EL) was higher in saline soil treatments than non-saline soil treatments. However, inoculation with AMF in combination with PM amendment significantly increased LTW, LRWC, VI, and STI in both saline and non-saline soil treatments above single treatment with mycorrhizal species and poultry manure. However, EL reduced with mycorrhizal inoculation. The results of this work have shown that AMF and PM can enhance plants ability to tolerate salinity possibly through some morphological and physiological changes which improved water and nutrients uptake.