Synergistic effects of inoculating arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and Methylobacterium oryzae strains on growth and nutrient uptake of red pepper (Capsicum annuum L.)

A greenhouse experiment was conducted to examine the effects of inoculation with two Methylobacterium oryzae strains (CBMB20 and CBMB110) and a consortium of three arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi on the growth of red pepper (Capsicum annum L.). Inoculation of red pepper plants with the M. oryzae strains resulted in a significant increase in root length and root fresh weight compared to untreated control plants. The combined inoculation of M. oryzae strains and AM fungi significantly increased various plant growth parameters and chlorophyll content compared to uninoculated controls. Mycorrhizal colonisation and the number of AM fungal spores were higher in co-inoculation treatments. In addition, the combined inoculation of M. oryzae strains and AM fungi resulted in significantly higher nitrogen (N) accumulation in the roots and shoots of red pepper plants compared to uninoculated controls. The combined inoculation of M. oryzae strain CBMB110 and AM fungi increased the phosphorus (P) content by 23.3% compared to untreated controls. The micronutrient content of the red pepper plants also increased in most of the inoculation treatments. A perfect mutualism among CBMB100-AMF was found which was attributed to the improved macro- and micronutrient uptake along with higher chlorophyll content in red pepper. Further research on in-depth understanding of the co-operative microbial interactions will facilitate the successful application of Methylobacterium-AM fungi products in biotechnology.