Project Number: 1935-12000-007-03
Project Type: Reimbursable

Start Date: May 01, 2003
End Date: Dec 31, 2006

Objective:
We propose to develop, refine, and transfer to farmers a new technology for "on-farm" production of AM fungus inocula.

Approach:
We will supply six farmers with host plants pre-colonized with individual species/isolates of AM fungi and who will then transplant them into enclosures filled with compost diluted with vermiculite. The plants grow for one growing season during which the fungi proliferate as the roots grow throughout the media. The following spring, the farmer can then deliver it to the field as he/she would apply and incorporate compost, or mix it into potting media in which vegetable seedlings are grown for transplant to the field. Outplanting performance of inoculated and non-inoculated controls will be monitored, yields measured, and economic return of the technology calculated.

Project Team

Douds, David

Related National Programs

Soil Resource Management (202)   Plant Biological and Molecular Processes (302)