Soil Inoculation with Trichoderma pseudokoningii Rifai Enhances Yield of Rice
A screen house study on tomato and field trial on rice were done to investigate further the previously observed growth enhancing effect of soil inoculation of Trichoderma on various vegetables. Results from the screen house study showed that the presence ofTrichoderma pseudokoningii Rifai in the soil made macronutrients (P, K and Ca) and micronutrients (Zn and Fe) more available and were vigorously absorbed by tomato plants. Absorbed nutrients influenced dry matter production of tomato that in turn resulted to the plant’s early flowering and better fruit production.
The fungus soil application in farmer’s field 5 days before transplant of rice seedling resulted to 18% mean yield increase compared to treatments without fungus application. Treatment with fungus application at 0 N fertilizer yielded grain significantly higher than that treated with 90 kg N/ha without the fungus. Soil chemical analyses after rice harvest showed that yield was negatively correlated with available soil P and Zn, significant at 1% level. Treatment plots with high yields had lower available P and Zn. It seems that plots with higher yields, or those applied with fungus, had greater uptake of P and Zn that resulted to lower concentration of the element in soil. Other yield components such as tiller number, panicle number, and tiller biomass were not affected by the fungus soil application. These 2 studies showed that presence of the fungus in the soil in sufficient population resulted to more mineral nutrients especially P and Zn available for plant use that increased crop growth and yield.
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