INFLUENCE OF TRICHODERMA VIRIDE ON SOIL AVAILABLE PHOSPHORUS USING ROCK PHOSPHATE AND SINGLE SUPER PHOSPHATE IN SEMI-ARID ENVIRONMENT

This study aimed to evaluate the influence of Trichoderma viride on soil available Phosphorus
when used with rock phosphate (RP) and single super phosphate (SSP) in a controlled screen
house at Department of Crop Science, Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto. The experiment
consisted of six treatments: Trichoderma viride alone (TV), rock phosphate alone (RP), single
super phosphate alone (SSP), rock phosphate combined with Trichoderma viride, single super
phosphate combined with Trichoderma viride, and a control. The experiment was laid out in a
Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD), replicated three times for 40 days. Soil properties
such as pH and available Phosphorus were determined before and after the experiment. Results
indicated that, soil pH across treatments remained slightly acidic to neutral, which is suitable for
nutrient management. Specifically, Trichoderma viride alone achieved the highest mean pH of
6.98, followed by the combination of RP + TV, which recorded 6.96. Additionally, both TV and
combination of RP + TV have the highest available Phosphorus levels of 0.16 mg/kg,
outperforming the SSP and control treatments. These findings suggest that Trichoderma viride
effectively enhances soil health and Phosphorus availability, supporting its application in
sustainable agricultural practices