Effect of incorporation of Brassica napus L. residues in soils on mycorrhizal fungus colonisation of roots and phosphorus uptake by maize (Zea mays L.)

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English. Plants in the Brassicaceae family are known to contain thioglucoside compounds that produce isothiocyanates when tissues are disrupted. These chemicals have a negative effect on soil-borne fungal pathogens, and possibly on vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi. We investigated the effect of incorporation of Brassica napus L. residues in a soil on mycorrhizal colonisation of roots, P uptake and growth of following maize (Zea mays L.) crop. A pot experiment was carried out in a glasshouse with pre-inoculation with Glomus intraradices (+I and -I), incorporation of B. napus L. residues (+R and -R) and mineral P fertilization (+P and -P) as studied factors. The soil used was a neutral loamy soil with low P availability. The pots were planted with maize (Z. mays L.). Phosphorus uptake, plant biomass, total leaf area per plant and area of individual leaves (rank 4-7) were significantly larger in +P treatments than without P addition, thus confirming that the soil used for the experiment was P deficient. Incorporation of B. napus L. residues had also a positive effect on P uptake, plant biomass, total leaf area per plant and area of individual leaves (rank 5-7). These effects were more pronounced in -P treatments than in +P treatments. There was no effect of pre-inoculation with G. intraradices on P uptake and P dependant variables. The percentage of the root length that was colonised by mycorrhizae was lower in +P treatments but it was not significantly affected by other studied factors. Altogether the results showed that B. napus L. residues have mainly acted as a source of P. There was no evidence of a negative effect of the incorporation of B. napus L. residues on the colonisation of maize roots by mycorrhizae.