Yield increase of corn inoculated with a commercial arbuscular mycorrhizal inoculant in Brazil

Shantau Camargo Gomes Stoffel,Edenilson Meyer,Cláudio Roberto Fonsêca Sousa Soares,Admir José Giachini,Paulo Emílio Lovato

doi:10.1590/0103-8478cr20200109

Shantau Camargo Gomes Stoffel, Edenilson Meyer + Show 3 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1590/0103-8478cr20200109

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Journal: Ciência Rural	Publication Date: Jan 1, 2020
Citations: 11	License type: CC BY 4.0

Affiliation: Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) play an important role in plant growth. However, there are no reports of legally commercialized AMF-based inoculants for agricultural crops in Brazil. The objective of this research was to evaluate the agronomic efficiency of a Rhizophagus intraradices inoculant in combination with phosphate fertilization in grain yield of corn under different edaphoclimatic conditions in Brazil. Experiments were conducted in five Brazilian states (Goiás, Mato Grosso, Minas Gerais, Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina) in a 2 x 3 factorial scheme, with two inoculation treatments (inoculated and non-inoculated seeds) and three doses of phosphate fertilization (0, 50 and 100% of the recommended P). At the end of the crop cycle (stages R4-R5), inoculation provided increases in biomass (average of 48%) regardless of the applied dose of P, higher P absorption, and 54% average increase in grain yield. In conclusion, the mycorrhizal inoculant increases biomass yield, P uptake and corn grain yield under different edaphoclimatic conditions in Brazil, especially in soils that originally had low or medium levels of available P.

Highlights

Arbuscular mycorrhizae represent a symbiotic relationship between arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and plant roots of various species with attested benefits for plant growth (SMITH & READ, 2008)
The mycorrhizal inoculant significantly increased corn biomass in all sampled locations regardless of P rates applied (Table 3), confirming that proposed by CAVALCANTE et al (2009) that corn is a species with high responsiveness to the inoculation of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi
SHARIF et al (2011) verified average increases of 14% in shoot biomass, while KHALIL et al (1994) demonstrated up to 400% increases in growth for the AMF-inoculated maize varieties. These results demonstrate the effects that AMF exert on plants, such as higher absorption of N and P

Summary

Introduction

Arbuscular mycorrhizae represent a symbiotic relationship between arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and plant roots of various species with attested benefits for plant growth (SMITH & READ, 2008). The AMF are obligatory biotrophic microorganisms, as they require association with plant roots to complete their life cycle. In this relationship, the AMF transfer water and nutrients from the soil to the plant, while the plant provides photoassimilates to the fungi (BI et al, 2005). In addition to the higher P contribution, it is recognized that AMF can contribute to plant growth through other mechanisms, such as greater tolerance to water deficit (GARG & CHANDEL, 2010), nutrient supply (SHARIF et al, 2011; HART & FORSYTHE, 2012; DANIA et al, 2013), root protection against pathogen attack (JUNG et al, 2012), soil organic matter (SOM) accumulation through the formation and aggregation of soil (RILLING et al, 2002; RILLIG, 2004), and stimulation of the metabolic activity of other microorganisms (RILLIG & MUMMEY, 2006)

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