Abstract:

Orange peel was used as organic material and the additive amounts were 0%, 0.25% and 0.5% of soil weight respectively. The continuous cultivation soil was subjected to strong reduction sterilization, and then the ‘Mini’ fruit cucumber seedlings were cultivated on the sterilized soil via pot experiment. The seedlings were inoculated with Glomus mosseae during cultivation. The effects of G. mosseae and reduction sterilization on soil quality, seedling growth, nutrients uptake and rhizosphere microbial quantity were investigated. The results showed that the contents of organic matter, alkali-hydrolyzed nitrogen and pH were significantly increased by reduction sterilization. Compared with non-sterilization, the organic matter, alkali-hydrolyzed nitrogen and available phosphorus contents of soil treated by adding 0.25% orange peel were 1.05, 1.10 and 1.90 times respectively, and the pH increased by 0.17. At the same time, G. mosseae significantly promoted the growth of cucumber seedlings on unsterilized soil, and the leaf area, biomass and seedling quality index inoculated with G. mosseae on unsterilized soil were 1.29, 1.25 and 1.44 times more than those uninoculated with G. mosseae, respectively. The leaf area and biomass of seedlings grown on soil treated by adding 0.25% orange peel and uninoculated with G. mosseae were 1.02 and 1.22 times more than that on unsterilized soil inoculated with G. mosseae, respectively. In addition, regardless of soil sterilization or not, G. mosseae effectively improved the calcium, magnesium and iron nutrients status in shoots of seedlings, and increased the number of rhizosphere bacteria, while decreased the number of fungi. It was concluded that both inoculation with G. mosseae on unsterilized soil or strong reduction sterilization could effectively alleviate the growth obstacles of cucumber seedlings in.

Key words: Glomus mosseae, orange peel, strong reduction sterilization, cucumber, continuous cropping obstacle, alleviating, nutrient absorption, rhizosphere microbial