Abstract:
A screen house experiment was conducted in 2014/2015 at the Department of Crop, Soil and Pest management, Federal University of Technology, Akure. The objective of the study was to determine the effects of watering regime and Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) inoculation on growth, functional trait, grain yield and yield components of four rice varieties. Treatments were 4x3x2 factorial combination consisting of four rice varieties (Igbemo, Benue type, Ofada and Nerica 8), watering regimes at 4 - , 8 - and 12 – day watering intervals (1.5 litres of water applied per plant) and with or without the application of AMF inoculation. The experiments were laid out in a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with four replications. Data collected were shoot and root weights, number of roots per plant and total root length, number of green and senescenced leaves at 50% flowering and maturity, seed and panicle weights. Treatment were significant (P < 0.05) on some measured growth variables of mycorrhizal inoculated rice plants including plant height, number of tillers and leaves, leaf area and biomass per plant except fresh root weight of rice. A positive influence of Ambuscular mycorrhizal application and 4 – day watering interval on plant growth which are the plant heights, leaf area, number of tillers and seed yield which are the grain yield per plant, 100 seeds weight and panicle weight of rice plant compared to the non- inoculated and drought (12 – day watering interval) were recorded. Inoculated Igbemo variety watered at 4 – day intervals were consistently taller in height, had enhanced biomass and number of leaves and tillers. The 4 - days watering interval enhance rice growth which included, number of senescenced leaves at 50% flowering and at maturity, number of green leaves at 50% flowering and at maturity, plant height at 50% flowering and biomass, except root length. Treatments were significant (P < 0.05) on some yield variables of rice which include, seed weight, 100 seed weight (g) and panicle weight. The values of these parameters were significantly higher (P < 0.05) in Igbemo and Benue varieties with the other two varieties and were enhanced by the 4 – day watering intervals with Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi inoculation with 8 – and 12 – day watering intervals. Inoculated Igbemo and Benue type watered at 4 – day interval had more seeds, higher seed weights and panicles with or without AMF inoculation varieties at 8 – and 12 – day watering regime.
