Abstract

Zinc, the essential immobile micronutrient, is required for the proper development in plants. Zinc deficiency decelerates plant growth. The presence of mycorrhizal fungi in young roots can balance zinc uptake and reduce zinc toxicity. This study aimed to determine the growth of maize seedlings cultured on the modified Hoagland medium added with zinc at four different concentration levels (0, 0.03. 0.22 and 0.4 mg/l). The young maize seedlings were cocultured with mycorrhiza on sterile medium for six weeks. The growth of maize and mycorrhization at the roots of seedlings from all treatments were evaluated in comparison with the control group. The results showed that those maize young plants incubating with mycorrhiza on medium with 0.22 mg/l zinc had the highest means in root length, root fresh weight and leaf fresh weight and root dry weight and leaf dry weight and showed the highest mycorrhiza spore frequency (90.83%).