Impact of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and Pseudomonas fluorescens on growth, physiological parameters and essential oil content in Ocimum basilicum L.

A pot experiment was performed to see the interactive potential of Glomus mosseae and Acaulospora laevis alone or in combination with Pseudomonas fluorescens on Ocimum basilicum L. under glass house conditions. Various morphological and physiological parameters were measured after 120 days. Although, all co-inoculation treatments showed beneficial effects but G. mosseae is found to be the most compatible strain found in the rhizosphere of basil plant. G. mosseae alone or in combination with other bioinoculants showed maximum increase in all the different parameters studied (plant height, fresh weight, dry weight, leaf number, inflorescence height, root and shoot phosphorus, acidic and alkaline phosphatase and oil content). The overall results demonstrate that the co-inoculation of P. fluorescens with AM fungi promotes higher mycorrhizal colonization enhancing nutrient acquisition especially phosphorus (P), producing plant growth hormones resulting in improvement of rhizospheric condition of soil, altering the physiological and biochemical properties of sweet basil.