Journal of Agriculture and Ecology Research International

The field experiment was conducted to study the effect of mycorrhizal inoculation (VAM) and different levels of phosphorus (0, 25, 50, 75 and 100 kg/ha) on yield, quality, nutrient uptake and post-harvest nutrient status of hybrid sunflower cv. sunbred. The experiment was conducted in factorial randomized block design with two replications. The treatments consisted of 5 levels of P₂O₅ applied in the presence or absence of VAM inoculates. The results of experiment revealed that mycorrhizal inoculated plants produced maximum seed and stalk yield, oil content, oil yield, protein content, nutrient uptake than non mycorrhizal inoculation while nutrient availability were maximum in non mycorrhizal inoculation. Among the various phosphorus levels tried, P₂O₅ at 100 kg ha^-1 recorded the maximum values for yield, quality, nutrient uptake while P₂O₅at 0 kg ha^-1 registered maximum NPK availability over other levels. With regard to interaction effect, mycorrhizal inoculation with 100 kg ha^-1 of P₂O₅ recorded maximum values for yield, quality and nutrient uptake of sunflower but it was on par with mycorrhizal inoculation with P₂O₅ at 75 kg ha^-1. Non-mycorrhizal inoculation without P₂O₅ application recorded maximum values for post-harvest nutrient status of sunflower. Lowest values of yield, quality and nutrient uptake were recorded by non-mycorrhizal inoculation without P₂O₅. Mycorrhizal inoculation with P₂O₅ at 100 kg ha^-1 recorded minimum values for post-harvest nutrient status of Sunflower.