Abstract
The response of maize to a composite inoculation of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF) in fields in Central Benin was evaluated. The 2000 SYNEE maize variety underwent 3 AMF groups involved in treatments namely: T1 = "Control (AMF and fertilizer free)"; T2 = "Glomeraceae"; T3 = Acau "Acaulosporacea"; T4 = Diversi " Diversisporaceae"; T5 = "50% NPK + Urea"; T6 = "Glomeraceae + 50% NPK + Urea"; T7 = "Acaulosporaceae + 50% NPK + Urea"; T8 = "Diversisporaceae + 50% NPK + Urea"; T9 = "100% NPK + Urea". The 2 factors were combined in a split-split plot design with a complete randomized block layout including 3 repetitions. The main and subplot factors were respectively the AMF type and use of fertilizers. The growth parameters (height, noose diameter and leaf area), grain yield and endomycorrhizal infection of plants were evaluated. T6 had induced the highest height, fresh above, underground biomass and grain yield of maize passing respectively from 42.38, 25.58, 58.33 and 27.18%, values recorded by the control plants. Moreover, T7 held the highest values of noose diameter and T8 those of mycorrhization intensities. However, T2 and T4 generated the highest values of mycorrhization frequencies and spore number. These results highlighted the advantages of endogenous AMF for sustainable agriculture in Benin. Key words: Bio-fertilizers, mycorrhizal, composite, maize, sustainable agriculture, Benin.  
Highlights
Balliu et al (2015) supported these results by observing an improvement in leaf area, nitrogen, potassium, calcium and phosphorus levels, indicating an increase in growth of tomato plants. These rates of improvement in the height, noose diameter and leaf area of maize plants are believed to be due to the positive effect of Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), which might facilitate the absorption of mineral elements by plants (Malonda et al, 2019) and decrease the uptake of Na and Cl (Evelin et al, 2012), leading to growth stimulation of mycorrhizal plants (Gnamkoulamba et al, 2018)
This study compared the behaviour of different groups of AMF on maize growth and grain yield variables in field environment
Glomeraceae50NPK+Urea induced the highest heights, yield of fresh above-ground and underground fresh biomass with the highest grain yields of maize exceeding the values measured in the control plants by respectively 42.38, 25.58, 58.33% and 27.18%
Summary
AMF present in most soils and colonizing the roots of the majority (80%) of plants (Walder and van der Heijden, 2015) have received particular attention in relation to their application in sustainable agriculture (Chen et al, 2018) Under natural conditions, these obligatory symbionts, unlike ectomycorrhizal symbionts, do not have host specificity and in many cases, a differential effect in each species has been observed with different natures of mycorrhizal inoculum (Diallo et al, 2016; Kouadio et al, 2017). Increases in yields, for maize and wheat, were highlighted (Treseder, 2013; Pellegrino et al, 2015) During this process, mycorrhizal colonization promotes the establishment of extensive hyphae networks and the secretion of glomaline, which in turn contributes to the absorption of water and nutrients (Pagano, 2014), ; contributing to a better soil structure (Miller and Jastrow, 2010)
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