author(s)
Sreenivasa MN, Tippeshi Chavhan and Shripad Kulkarni

abstract
Mycorrhizae are highly evolved symbiotic association between roots of most vascular plants and certain specialized soil fungi that colonize the cortical tissues of roots during periods of active plant growth both in natural environment and in cultivation. The present study is aimed to assess the association of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in tomato crop in terms of nutrition, growth and suppression of root infecting pathogens, along with arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungal population density in the rhizosphere soils. Sclerotial wilt is one of the major causes for yield loss in tomato crop. Hence, a survey was conducted in different villages in the sclerotial wilt on standing crop during Nov- 2016 to Feb 2017. Later, per cent disease incidence was calculated to finalize the villages for demonstration trials. The efficient AM fungal inocula were mass produced as axenic cultures in a glasshouse and have been kept ready for their use for field trials in farmers fields during Kharif 2017-18. The field trials were conducted in farmers fields at Yadvada & Narendra (Dharwad dist) and Gundagatti and Chanahalli (Haveri Dist) in tomato crop to demonstrate the importance of efficient AM fungi on plant growth, yield, nutrient status (Major and minor) in soil & plant in addition to disease incidence. The present investigate for inoculation of AM fungi in tomato significantly increased spore count and per cent root colonization as compared to uninoculated nursery bed at 30 DAS and 45 DAS and in field at 60 DAT. At harvest stage, the AM spore counts were 188 and 186 in Yaadavada and Gundagatti villages per 25 g of soil while the per cent root colonization was 93 both in Narendra and Gundagatti respectively in the inoculated tomato fields. The number of plants wilted at vegetative stage ranged from 1 to 2 plant wilt in the inoculated field as compared to uninoculated field which was 9 to 27 in tomato. The number of pickings and the fruit yield increased in the inoculated fields of tomato (0.5 to 1.2 kg/plant) as compared to uninoculated control in all the villages.