Acclimatization of Tapeinochilos ananassae plantlets in association with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi

Abstract

The objective of this work was to assess the potential of three isolates of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi to promote growth of micropropagated plantlets of Tapeinochilos ananassae during acclimatization. The experiment was carried out in greenhouse, in a completely randomized block design, with four inoculation treatments: non-inoculated control and plants inoculated with Glomus etunicatum, Acaulospora longula or Gigaspora albida, with ten replicates. After 90 days, the following parameters were evaluated: survival rate, height, leaf and tiller number, leaf area, fresh and dry biomass, contents of macro- and micronutrients in the root and shoot, glomerospore number, and mycorrhizal colonization. The survival percentage was 100%, except for plants inoculated with G. albida (80%). The isolate G. etunicatum is more suitable for plant development, since it improves survival, growth, dry matter production, nutritional status, and vigor of T. ananassae micropropagated plants.