Donnish Journal of Ecology and The Natural Environment

September 2023 Vol. 5(1), pp. 001-008

Copyright (c) 2023 Donnish Journals

Original Research Article

Effect of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF) and Cowdung on Early Growth of Azadirachta indica Seedling in Maiduguri, Northeast Nigeria

Mohammed Abdulhamid Umar¹*, Musa Adamu Ibrahim¹, Abdullahi Abdulkadir², Fanna Ka’annami¹, Musa Ibrahim¹, Muhammad Alhaji Mustapha¹, and Ali Usman Bulama¹

¹Department of Biological Sciences, University of Maiduguri, Maiduguri, Nigeria
²Department of Biological Sciences, Borno State University, Maiduguri, Nigeria

Corresponding Author's Email: absonb2009@gmail.com

Accepted 21st September, 2023.

Abstract

---

Neem (Azadiracta indica) has economic and ecological importance to many people globally. This study was conducted to determine the growth response of Azadiracta indica to Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and cowdung. The experiment was laid in a complete randomized design (CRD) with three treatments (AMF inoculated, cowdung; CD, and AMF+CD) and control (uninoculated), replicated ten times in polyethylene pots. Seedlings were watered twice daily for twelve weeks. Germination rate, shoot height, number of leaves, and stem diameter were recorded. The data collected was subjected to ANOVA, and the means were separated using the Duncan Multiple Range test (DMRT) at p < 0.05. The results indicated that cowdung with and without AMF increased the growth parameters more than only AMF inoculated treatment. Generally, cowdung has a significant effect on early seedling growth compared to other treatments. It is recommended that further research should be conducted to find out the effects of AMF inoculations and cowdung treatment on these tree seedlings in the field after out-planting as the study was limited to 12 weeks of observation. Furthermore, a comparative study to compare the effects of AMF inoculation and NPK chemical fertiliser on the performance of A. indica seedlings and another important arid zone tree species for longer period to support this finding was recommended.

Keywords: Arid zone, Azadirachta indica, propagation, seedling, germination

Read: [Full Text - PDF]

Cite This Article:

Mohammed Abdulhamid Umar*, Musa Adamu Ibrahim, Abdullahi Abdulkadir, Fanna Ka’annami, Musa Ibrahim, Muhammad Alhaji Mustapha, Ali Usman Bulama. Effect of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF) and Cowdung on Early Growth of Azadirachta indica Seedling in Maiduguri, Northeast Nigeria. Donnish Journal of Ecology and the Natural Environment. 5(1) 2023 pp. 001-008.