A pot experiment was conducted to study the effect of inoculating wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) with arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi, Glomus spp. and phosphatesolubilizing bacteria (PSB), Bacillus megatherium with different levels of P in a P-deficientcalcareous soil.
Results showed that the highest percentage of mycorrhizal root infection and the maximum population of PSB in wheat rhizosphere soil were found in plants inoculated with dual inocula (AM fungi and PSB) at panicle initiation stage. Generally, mycorrhizal root infection and PSB population reduced at either very low or very high P levels. Inoculation of wheat plants with PSB singly or incombination with AM fungi resulted in significant higher concentration of available P in the rhizosphere soil of inoculated compared with the uninoculated plants. Concentrations of available P in wheat rhizosphere soil reached their peaks when plants inoculated with dual inoculants.
In general, shoots and roots dry weight; grain and straw yields as well as P-content of plant were significantly increased with increasing P levels. There was a significant increase in shoots and roots dry weight; grain and straw yields as well as P-content of plants inoculated with AM fungi and PSB singly or incombination compared with uninoculated plants, and the maximum values obtained with dual inoculation treatments. The interaction between P levels and inoculation treatments significantly affected shoots and roots dry weight; grain and straw yields as well as P-content of plant.