Improved Sclerocarya birrea (A. Rich.) Hochst. growth by mycorrhizal inoculation

Hadou Haro,Kadidia B Sanon,Kadidia Semdé,Kadidiata Bahadio

doi:10.33472/afjbs.3.1.2021.104-109

Abstract

Sclerocarya birrea is a multipurpose species which is recognized as a plant species of commercial, medicinal and cultural importance in Africa. However, it remains in the wild and its production and existence are dependent on the vagaries of the weather. This study was carried out to improve this plant growth by mycorrhizal inoculation. In this study, Sclerocarya birrea was grown in the greenhouse for nine months and inoculated with three mycorrhizal inocula. The height and the collar diameter were measured at three and nine months after sowing. The shoot, root and total biomass as well as the relative growth rate in height and the collar diameter were evaluated at nine months after sowing. The results of this study show that the roots of Sclerocarya birrea are relatively mycorrhized by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and the M1 inoculum appears to be the best of all the inocula used. This inoculum improves height growth by 31.72% (9th month after sowing), collar diameter by 77.27% and 80.15% (respectively at 3rd and 9th month after sowing) and relative growth rate in height by 71.43%, shoot biomass of Sclerocariat birrea by 59.95%, root biomass by 101.75% and total biomass by 66.99% compared to the control.

Highlights

IntroductionRich) Hochst., subspecies caffra (family: Anacardiaceae) is an important food, commercial, cultural and ethnomedicinal plant in Africa (Ojewole et al, 2010)
Explained by the fact that Sclerocarya birrea is a mycotrophic plant. These results are in agreement with those of Muok and Ishiim (2006) who showed that Sclerocarya birrea had a root colonization of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) reaching 48.5%
The absence of mycorrhizal infection on the controls roots could be justified that the treatments are free from any endomycorrhizal contamination. These results corroborate those of Muok and Ishiim (2006) who found no mycorrhization on the roots of uninoculated Sclerocarya birrea

Summary

Introduction

Rich) Hochst., subspecies caffra (family: Anacardiaceae) is an important food, commercial, cultural and ethnomedicinal plant in Africa (Ojewole et al, 2010). The tree is highly valued in southern Africa for its delicious fruit and ethnomedicinal properties, and has received great attention in terms of domestication and commercialization (Viljoen et al, 2008). In Burkina Faso Sclerocarya birrea occurs in all climatic zones, sometimes in pure and dense populations (Bationo/Kando et al, 2008). The plant is the subject of multiple uses in this country and it’s considered by the populations of certain areas of the Sahel as one of the priorities woody species (Ouédraogo and Belem, 1999). It’s one of the most widely used spontaneous woody plants for human consumption (Belem et al, 2008) and the main

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Results