Introduction:

Leucaena leucocephala (Lam.) de Wit is native to tropical America. The root system of the species is associated with microorganisms that improve nutrition and growth.

Objective:

To evaluate the effect of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) collections on the phosphorus (P) content and growth of L. leucocephala in the nursery.

Materials and methods:

The seeds were sown and six treatments were applied: Rhizophagus intraradices (Schenck & Sm.) Walker & Schüßler (1), the collections “Caracoles” (2), “Rosario Izapa” (3), “Té limón” (4) and “San Rafael” (5), fertilization 15N-15P-15K (6) and a control. Morphological and physiological variables, root colonization and P content were recorded at 120 days. Data were subjected to an analysis of variance and Tukey’s range test (P ≤ 0.05).

Results and discussion:

AMF improved plant characteristics in comparison with the control and fertilization. Rhizophagus intraradices caused the highest growth values in the aerial part, mycorrhizal colonization and P content, and the lowest growth in the root system. The "Caracoles" and "Rosario Izapa" isolates promoted height, root biomass and P content higher than “Té limón” and “San Rafael”.

Conclusion:

AMF allow decreasing chemical fertilization without detriment to the growth of L. leucocephala.