evaluation of the qualitative traits of safflower (carthamus tinctorius l.) as affected by azotobacter and mycorrhizal symbiosis

this study was performed for evaluation of the qualitative traits of safflower (carthamus tinctorius l.) as affected by azotobacter and mycorrhizal symbiosis (host plant root symbiosis with the glomus fungi) as factorial experiment based on randomized complete block design with three replications in research farm of college of arak islamic azad university during growing season of 2011-2012. treatments including of inoculated with azotobacter in three levels (non-inoculated, inoculation with azotobacter-5 and inoculation with azotobacter-12) and glomus fungi treatment in four levels (non-inoculated, inoculation with glomus intraradices, inoculation with glomus mosseae and inoculation with mixed g. intraradices and g. mossae). results showed that interaction effect of azotobacter and glomus fungi (the combined use of the two combinations) had significant effect on seed phosphorous percent mycorrhizal dependency and seed nitrogen percent of safflower. the highest seed phosphorus (0.58%) was observed from inoculation with azotobacter-5 and inoculation with mixed g. intraradices and g. mosseae (a1m3) and the lowest (0.37%) from treatment of inoculation with azotobacter-5 and inoculation with g. mosseae (a1m2). highest (3.14%) and lowest (2.46%) seed nitrogen were obtained with inoculation with azotobacter-12 and inoculation with mixed g. intraradices and g. mosseae (a2m3) and non-inoculated with azotobacter and inoculation with g. intraradices (a0m1), respectively. the main effect of azotobacter and glomus fungi inoculation was on seed oil percent, seed oil yield, seed phosphorous percent, root colonization percent and mycorrhizal dependency of safflower. the highest seed oil percent, seed oil yield, seed phosphorus percent, root colonization percent and mycorrhizal dependency of inoculation with azotobacter-12 than those obtained from non-inoculated.