Wheat (Triticum aestivum) Responses to Rhizophagus irregularis Inoculation Under Microwave Soil Sterilization Conditions
摘要
A pot experiment was conducted at the College of Applied Sciences University of Samarra Iraq for 22 weeks. The aim was to study the effect of inoculation with the fungus Rhizophagus irregularis and microwave soil sterilization on the growth of local wheat. The experiment followed a completely randomized design with two factors: inoculation (with and without fungi) and soil sterilization times (5 10 15 min and control). Plant height and dry weights of shoots and roots were measured after 60 days. The results showed no significant differences between inoculated and non-inoculated plants in plant height and shoot dry weight. However root dry weight increased slightly in inoculated plants (0.07 g/plant) compared to non-inoculated ones (0.05 g/plant). Microwave sterilization had a stronger effect on plant growth than inoculation. The 15-minute sterilization treatment gave the highest plant height and dry weights. In this work microwave soil sterilization improved wheat growth more effectively than fungal inoculation. Combining both treatments may offer potential benefits but further studies are needed to optimize their use for better crop productivity.