Abstract

ZULUETA-RODRIGUEZ, Ramón; TREJO-AGUILAR, Dora  and  LARA-CAPISTRAN, Liliana. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in the production of african violet in a traditional management system. Rev. Chapingo Ser.Hortic [online]. 2013, vol.19, n.3, pp.343-353. ISSN 2007-4034.  https://doi.org/10.5154/r.rchsh.2012.11.064.

The effect of inoculating African violet (Saintpaulia ionantha Wendl.) with arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi in a commercial nursery under the producer's farming system was determined. Two forms of the inoculum, fresh roots (TI) and inoculant encapsulated in calcium alginate beads (EI), were tested. The treatments consisted of plants inoculated with each inoculum (TI and EI), fertilized plants without inoculum (F), inoculated plants with fertilizer (TI+F and EI+F) and control plants (C). Variables evaluated at 90 and 180 days after inoculation (DAI) were leaf area, number of leaves, flower buds and flowers, root length colonized and petiole, leaf and root dry weight at the end of the experiment (180 DAI). Statistical analysis showed highly significant differences among treatments at 90 DAI for leaf area and number of flower buds and flowers (ANOVA, P ≤ 0.01), a response which continued until 180 DAI with respect to the control plants (ANOVA, P ≤ 0.01). In general, the interaction between AM fungi and the fertilizer promoted early flowering, indicating that the use of these microorganisms can be considered a feasible alternative biotechnology to incorporate into these production systems.

Keywords : Saintpaulia ionantha Wendl.; commercial nursery; microbial inoculation; ornamental floricultural species.

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