Comparative impact of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal fungi from Moroccan soils and commercial inoculum on potato yield and nutrient composition

Abstract

Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is a widely grown crop in Morocco. Mycorrhiza fertilization of potatoes needs to be monitored in order to observe their effects on the growth of potatoes. The aim of this study was therefore to test the effect of fungal strains on potato yield and tuber quality. The inoculation treatments included a commercial inoculum (T2), a natural inoculum (T3), represented by leek roots fragments, obtained after trapping by this host plant of AMF spores naturally present in the soil of the region of Guercif-Morocco, and a control treatment consisting of a sterile substrate. Our results showed significant differences in the frequency and intensity of mycorrhization between the T3 inoculum and the T2 inoculum, while control plants showed no AMF infection. Compared to the T1 control (non-inoculated plants), the gains in number of tubers/plant was 24% and 39% higher, whereas gains in yield was 34% and 48% higher for potato plants inoculated with T2 and T3 inocula, respectively. Furthermore, chemical analyses showed the important role of controlled mycorrhization in the accumulation of mineral elements; N, P, K, Zn, Cu and Fe in potato tubers. The T3 inoculum obtained from the soil of Guercif-Morocco allowed to obtain the best value of dry matter (16.82 g/100 g fM) and the best contents in Zn; K and P and the tubers.