| Abstract: | In this study, various tomato cultivars grown in medium with various phosphate amendments were evaluated in terms of colonization rate and plant growth. Tomato cultivars included Know-you No. 8, Hsin-Kuang, Hui-chu, Hsiao-Gu-Nian, Chun-Kuang, Chun-Miao No.7, Chun-Miao No. 8, Taoyuang AVRDC No. 9, Taichung AVRDC No. 10, Tainan AVRDC No.6, Tainan AVRDC No. 11, and Hualien AVRDC No. 13. Inoculum of VA mycorrhizal fungus was Gigaspora albida. Among these 12 cultivars growing in the medium mixture of peat moss and pearlite (1:1 v/v), Hsin-Kuang showed the highest colonization rate (8%) after 42 days inoculation, then the cultivar, Tainan AVRDC No. 11 (5.2%) and the Chun-Miao No.7, the lowest colonization rate (2.6%).Three previously selected cultivars were then grown in three different growth media, i.e., (i) mixture of peat moss and pearlite (1:1 v/v, M1), (ii) mixture of peat moss, pearlite and vermiculite (1:1:1 v/v/v, M2), (iii) mixture of peat moss, pearlite and vermiculite (1:2:2 v/v/v, M3). After inoculation for 21 days, all of the cultivars grew much better (plant height) in the medium M1than M3. In contrast to the plant height, the tomato grew in M3 showed the lower colonization rate than M1. After 60 days inoculation in the same experiment, all of three cultivars in M1 did grow better than M3; however, the colonization rate of cultivars in either media was above 80% and did not show any further significant difference. In the M3 medium and among the previous 12 cultivars, Hualien AVRDC No. 13 showed the highest colonization rate (29%) and Chun-Miao No.7 had the lowest colonization rate (8%) with Gi. albida. If we tested these two cultivars further in the treatments between mycorrhizal inoculation and fertilizer amendment, the results indicated that tomato in lower nutrient condition did not response well to the VA inoculation, nevertheless appropriate amendment of fertilizer and VA inoculation could promote plant growth significantly. |
