Impact of AM Fungi and Rhizobium on the Eco-physiological attributes of Pisum sativum grown in carpet industry effluent soil

Abstract

Considering the problem of heavy metals accumulation, released through industrial wastes on the growth and productivity of leguminous crops, a staple diet in the rural population of India, the study was designed to examine the effect of microorganisms (Rhizobium and Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi) on the growth, physiology of Pisum sativum cultivated in industrial effluents. The experiment had four treatments: two single inoculums of Rhizobium and Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF), one mixed inoculum containing both, and one control. Plant expansion and the physiological framework under study (fresh weight, dry weight, chlorophyll, and protein activity) are improved by microbial inoculation. However, mixed inoculation showed the maximum value for each variable. Plants treated with both bacteria and AMF also had significantly higher levels of microbial characteristics such as nodule number, mycorrhizal root exploration, and number of AMF spore population. Similarly, micronutrients (B, Cu, Fe, Mn) were also observed at maximum in soil treated with both. Plant heavy metal (As, Hg and Zn) substance was crucially more in soil; however, microbial inoculation importantly reduced HMs absorption. In combination inoculation, AMF and Rhizobium demonstrated superiority, leading to enhanced crop development and physiological features, which resulted in decreased absorption of heavy metals. In addition to addressing the issue of heavy metal stress, this combination of inoculants (symbionts) in soil has been shown to improve micronutrient levels, which boost the productivity of the Pisum sativum crop.