ARBUSCULAR MYCORRHIZAL FUNGI IN THE RHIZOSPHERE OF NATIVE PLANTS AND THEIR EFFECT ON POBLANO PEPPER GROWTH

Abstract

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi symbiotically associate with most terrestrial plants, which provide various benefits, including nutrients and water absorption, and higher tolerance to root diseases, promoting greater plant growth. This study aimed to identify and select species of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) native to the rhizosphere of Poblano pepper and to evaluate their effect on its growth. The rhizospheric soil collection was carried out at nine sites where Poblano pepper was being cultivated at the Sierra Nevada region, Puebla, México. An experiment was established under a completely randomized design with 12 treatments and 8 replications. Nine treatments were mycorrhizal consortia from the nine sites (CS1 to CS9) and they were compared with three control treatments, two of these treatments were fertilized according to the recommended dose for Poblano pepper, with phosphorus (120-80-100) (NPK) and without phosphorus (120-00-100) (NK), and an absolute control (no mycorrhiza and no chemical fertilizer) (AC). The species of the AMF consortia were identified and their effect on growth (plant height, leaf area and biomass) and on the phosphorus contents of the plants was evaluated. Three AMF species were found in the nine inoculated treatments: Funneliformis geosporum, Claroideoglomus sp. and C. etunicatum. All the inoculated consortia enhanced growth and were all different from each other (Tukey, P ≤ 0.05), the treatment inoculated with CS2 (F. geosporum + Claroideoglomus sp.) showed greater plant height (20.3 cm), leaf area (100.9 cm2) and higher dry biomass in root (92 mg), leaf (258 mg) and stem (166 mg); treatments with CS3 and CS2 (F. geosporum + Claroideoglomus sp.) induced higher phosphorus content in the plant (1.75 and 1.69 mg). The results indicated that AMF are associated with Poblano pepper plants and can be isolated and inoculated to improve the growth of the Poblano pepper itself.