Potential of Vetiver (Chrysopogon zizanioides L.), Inoculated With Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi, To Improve Soil Quality in Degraded Soil

Alterations of healthy soil properties can result from land degradation. However, application of some grass species that are colonized with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), such as vetiver (Chrysopogon zizanioides L.), can mitigate the negative impacts of soil degradation. The present study evaluated the ability of AMF-colonized vetiver to improve the quality of degraded soil in pine and tea plantations, as well as in adjacent secondary forest. Applications of organic manure and biochar were also tested in conjunction with AMF to examine their comparative effects on soil rehabilitation. The different treatments were significantly different (p <= 0.05) in their effects on soil pH, soil microbial activity, bacterial count, fungal count, and percentage of AMF colonization. Vetiver application, with and without the additional soil amendments, improved the degraded chemical and biological soil properties to comparative levels with the healthy soil of a nearby mountain region. Therefore, vetiver application, with the added AMF, biochar, and organic manure, can be effectively used in soil quality amelioration.