Impact Of Inoculation by Native Endomycorrhizal Fungi Associated with Tetraclinis Articulata on Plant Growth and Mycorrhizal Diversity in the Forest Nursery

Abstract

In Morocco, Tetraclinis articulata is one of the species of great socio-economic value. Improving the resistance and survival of thuya to sometimes extreme environmental conditions is a concern of managers. For this, the use of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi can promote the good growth of this species. We aim to study the effect of a native endomycorrhizal inoculum on the growth of T. articulata plants under nursery conditions. Our results showed that after eighteen months of inoculation, there was a significant effect on the growth of the mycorrhizal plants as compared to the non-mycorrhizal plants. Concerning the root fresh weight (8.58 g), the root system length (34 cm), the collar diameter (5.44 mm), and the number of branches (27) of the mycorrhizal plants are higher than those observed in the non-mycorrhizal plants, 7.67 g, 30 cm, 4.13 mm, and 24, respectively. However, the results of the height and the fresh weight of the shoot part of the non-mycorrhizal plant are superior to those observed in the mycorrhizal plants. The number of spores formed in the rhizosphere of plants inoculated was 135/100 g of soil. And they were represented by 29 endomycorrhizal species belonging to ten different genera: Glomus (6 species), Acaulospora (8 species), Rhizophagus (3 species), Diversispora (1 species), Funneliformis (3 species), Septoglomus (2 species), Scutellospora (2 species), Claroideoglomus (1 species), Entrophospora (1 species) and Gigaspora (2 species). Diversispora versiformis is the most abundant species; its frequency of occurrence reached 30%. The results of this inoculation study highlight the importance of native endomycorrhizal fungi isolated from the rhizosphere of Aderj in increasing the root system and improving the growth of T. articulata plants.