Evaluation of Vesicular–Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi in Commercial Production of Silver King (Aglaonema commutatum L.) Plants

Abstract

In the commercial production of silver king plants and other ornate plants, the substrates are treated with fungicides, which affect the vesicular–arbuscular mycorrhizal (VAM) fungi and the plant growth negatively. The restoration of de VAM fungi to the substrate, after its disinfection, might improvement the development. The effectiveness and infectiveness of Glomus fasciculatum and Glomus aggregatum on silver king (Aglaonema commutatum) plants was evaluated in this work. Seedlings of 4-week-old, growing treated with mancozeb, were removed and planted in pots filled with a disinfected mixture of sand soil, cow manure and coconut powder (1:2:2), containing the inoculum of VAM fungi (soil with spores and colonized roots). After 3 and 4 months of the inoculation, plants were removed and dry weight of roots and shoot, number and length of leaves, and mycorrhizal colonization were evaluated. A better development was showed in plants inoculated, resulting highest values in number and length of leaves in relation to control plants. Both VAM fungi improvement the number and length of leaves. The percentage root length colonized (80%) and visual density of endophyte in roots was highest in plants inoculated with Glomus aggregatum in both sampling period.