Role of Dual Inoculation of Rhizobium and Arbuscular Mycorrhizal (AM) Fungi on Pulse Crops Production

Legume crops are useful as human and animal feed, wood energy, and as soil-improving components of agricultural and agro forestry systems through its association with bio-fertilizers. The later have a potential environment friendly inputs that are supplemented for proper plant growth. Bio-fertilizers are preparations containing living cells of microorganisms that help crop plants in the uptake of nutrients by their interactions in the rhizosphere. Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi are beneficial symbionts for plant growth. They are associated with higher plants by a symbiotic association and benefit plants in the uptake of phosphorus nutrients, production of growth hormones, increase of proteins, lipids and sugars levels, helps in heavy metal binding, salinity tolerance and disease resistance. In nature symbiotic association of Rhizobium and leguminous plants fixes atmospheric nitrogen. Indeed, research has proved that the association of mycorrhizae fungi and Rhizobium , with pulse crops, increased the beneficial aspects comparatively more than their single associations with the host plants. This review focuses on the role of dual inoculation of AM fungi and Rhizobium on different pulse crops. doi: 10.14456/WJST.2016.1