PERTANIKA JOURNAL OF TROPICAL AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE

Two greenhouse experiments and one field trial were conducted to provide information on the possibility o f exploiting the beneficial effects o f vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizctl fungi in Malaysian agriculture. In the fir s t study, winged bean (Psophocarpus tetragonolobus) was grown in steam-sterilized Serdang soils and the development o f the endophytes evaluated fortnightly. The second experiment was conducted in unsterilized Serdang and Munchong soils respectively with three levels o f P and/or inoculated with Acaulospora laevis, Glomus macrocarpum , Glomus mosseae, a mixture o f Glomus species and Scutellospora calospora. All inocula, except fo r S. calospora, significantly enhanced growth throughout the course o f the experiments and increased N , P and K concentrations in the plant tissues. G. mosseae was superior to the rest. In the fie ld trial, Acaulospora laevis, Scutellospora calospora and Glomus mosseae were inoculated into winged bean grown in unsterilized fie ld soil, with or without phosphate fertilizer. Inoculation o f winged bean with G. mosseae significantly (P < 0.05) increased inflorescence formation (4.5/ plant), particularly at an intermediate level (60 kg ha-1) of P fertilizer.