Effect of indigenous arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi on some growth parameters and phytochemical constituents of Pogostemon patchouli Pellet

Abstract

Patchouli (Pogostemon patchouli Pellet) is an important aromatic crop cultivated for its essential oil used in cosmetics. arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi is known to modify several aspects of plant physiology and phytochemical constituents. Hence, a study was conducted on the efficacy of certain AM fungi in the improvement of some growth parameters and content of some phytochemical constituents in the leaves of P. patchouli. Patchouli seedlings were raised in soil inoculated with isolates of seven indigenous AM fungi, viz. Acaulospora scrobiculata, Gigaspora margarita, Glomus aggregatum, G. geosporum, G. mosseae, Sclerocystis pakistanika and Scutellospora heterogama. Seedlings raised in the presence of AM fungi generally showed an increase in growth, nutritional ingredients (sugars, N, P, K, Zn, Ca and Mn), total chlorophyll, and secondary metabolites in the leaves of patchouli compared to those from seedlings grown in the absence of AM fungi, the extent of increase, however, being varied with the AM fungi species. Furthermore, it was found that the phosphorus concentration was positively correlated with all growth parameters and content of phytochemical constituents (except essential oil), and that G. aggregatum seemed to be the best AM symbiont for the patchouli plant used in this experiment.