The effect of mycorrhizal inoculation and mulcing on the growth and development of oregano (Origanum vulgare L. sbsp. hirtum) and thyme (Thymus spp.)

Abstract

This dissertation aims in studying and understanding a very crucial aspect of modern agriculture and biology. This aspect refers to the symbiosis of plants with bacteria and funguses. This symbiosis might take place inside or outside the soil, inside or outside the plant. In this thesis there would be a clear analysis of the factors and organisms that take part in the symbiosis in the field of agriculture, existing knowledge and as result come out with useful new outcome. There would also be an analysis of the different soil covering materials and their effects in soil, plants and microorganisms. The two plants that we are going to include in our survey are oregano (Origanum vulgare L.) and thyme (Thymus vulgaris). Afterwards there is presented an experiment performed that combines the two different aspects of soil covering and fungus symbiosis in aromatic and medicinal plants. The experiment combines mycorrhiza colonies in plants and different soil covering materials and the factors that are going to be analyzed are the development of the medicinal plants and the net weight of their production as well as the development of weeds in each case studied. The field experiment was performed in the American Farm School's facilities and there are lots of relevant photos and graphs derived both from the experiment and from the existing knowledge led the researcher to the conclusion that both mycorrhize and mulching play a major role at the proper development of the plants, affecting both the quantitative and the qualitative characteristics of the plants and playing a key role to the farmers annual plan and practices. According to that, the use of mulching material and of the fungi described are considered very useful to the agriculture and any modern farming system.