Abdullahi S1, Sani LA2, Bichi BI3, Shehu AM3 and Auwal AM1
1Department of Horticultural Technology, Audu Bako College of Agriculture Dambatta, Kano State, Nigeria; 2Faculty of Life Sciences, Department of Plant Biology, Bayero University, Kano State, Nigeria; 3Department of Agricultural Technology, Audu Bako College of Agriculture Dambatta, Kano State, Nigeria.
*Corresponding author: shehuabdullahi65@gmail.com
An essential staple meal for millions of people worldwide, rice is an annual grass that is a member of the genus Oryza and family Poaceae. This study was carried out to assess how Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF) affected the growth and yield of rice that had Magnaporthe oryzae infection. Three types of rice (YARDAS, FARO 44, and FARO 52) infected with Magnaporthe oryzae were subjected to evaluations using eight distinct concentrations of Arbuscular Mycorrhiza. Three replications of the experiment were conducted using a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD). After planting, growth data was gathered 30, 60, and 90 days later. Ninety days after planting, however, data on yield metrics were gathered. An analysis of variance (ANOVA) was performed on the acquired data, and means were separated using Tukey at 5% significance level. The result showed that 7g of Arbuscular Mycorrhiza significantly increase Chlorophyll content across all the varieties evaluated in this study. Similarly treating the infected rice varieties with 7g of the Mycorrhiza significantly increase the yield and yield parameters. While the disease incidence was only significantly reduced when the varieties were treated with 7g of Arbuscular Mycorrhiza; disease severity was decreased when the varieties were treated with 5-7g of Arbuscular Mycorrhiza. Treating rice varieties infected with Magnaporthe oryzae with Arbuscular Mycorrhiza increase both growth and yield, and reduce disease incidence and severity. It could therefore be recommended that farmers could use Arbuscular Mycorrhiza in mitigating the infection of Magnaporthe oryzae.