Effect of rice straw incorporation and inoculation with cyathus stercoreus on growth biomass drought resistance and nodulation of casuaring glauca and leucaena leucocephala seedlings

Four experiments were carried to Capitalize on rice straw as a mulch to ameliorate physical properties of the soil, exaggerate water use efficiency in addition to mineral input for growing of 3 months old Casuarina glauca and Leucaena leucocephala seedlings.The frst experiment was conducted to study the effect of depth of straw story on the growth and biomass of seedlings, using two depths, 10 cm (D10) and 20 cm (D20) and unmulched soil (control). For both species studied in both season, the results showed that the mulched seedlings displayed growth and biomass higher than that of unmulched ones. However, the deeper the mulch incorporated (D20) in soil, the higher the growth and biomass characteristics were obtained The second experiment was done to study the impact of inoculation with bird's nest fungus (Cyathus stercoreus) on the growth and biomass yield of seedlings degradation rate of the straw and relative infiltration rate of rhizosphere. Fruit bodies of C. stercoreus were upward emerged after four months of inoculation. Inoculated C. glauca seedlings displayed the highest shoot height, stem diameter, shoot growth rate, branchlets, roots and total biomass compared with uninoculted straw and control treatments. Inoculated Leucaena leucocephala seedlings displayed the highest growth and yield characteristics for both season. There were no significant differences between inoculated and uninoculated ones in both of total dry weight of stem in the first season and values of both were higher than that of the control, but there were no significant differences between inoculated and uninoculated ones. As for L. leucocephala; total biomass was significantly higher than those of uninoculated and control ones. The third experiment was conducted to study the effect of 11- day drought stress on survival characteristics of seedlings. However, inoculated and uninoculated plants displayed survival, life shoot ratio, both based on height (LSRH) and on dry weight (LSR) higher than those of the control Monitoring degradation rate of straw along year, more than 90% of the total dry weight of straw lost by aid of inoculation with birds nest fungus at rhizosphere of seedlings. Relative infiltration rates (RIR) at rhizosphere of mulched seedlings and inoculated with bird's nest fungus were lower than those of uninoculated ones. The fourth experiment was targeted to study the effect of straw mulching on nodulation characteristics of C. glauca inoculated with Frankia and L. leucocephala with Rhizobiurn. Data obtained from this experiment revealed that the nodulation by Rhizobium was delayed in L. leucocephala roots. On the other hand, nodulation of C. glauca roots by Frankia was failed It is recommended, however, to exploit rice by-protects by incorporate it in the soil of plantation or man made forest in marginal lands instead of its burning to ameliorate chemical, physical properties of the soil water use efficiency, reduce weed population especially in strips and to test more economic fungus to grow under such condition