Fumigation Effect on the Mycorrhizal Status, the Mycorrhizal Diversity and the Roots System Development of Strawberry in Morocco

This study was undertaken to evaluate the fumigation effect on the mycorrhization status of strawberry roots, the diversity of indigenous arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in the rhizosphere of strawberry and the roots system development of strawberry. Two parcels were taken randomly in the perimeter of Loukkos with fumigated one. For each parcel, samples of strawberry’s rhizosphere soil were taken regularly all over the cycle of culture. The mycorrhization parameters (mycorrhizal frequency, mycorrhizal intensity, arbuscular content, vesicular content and spores number) were calculated using Phillips and Hayman technique according to the scale of Trouvelot. An identification of spores was made according to the key International culture collection of Vesicular Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (INVAM). The frequency of the apparition of genera and species of spores at the sites were calculated. The roots system development was evaluated with the visual analogical scale (VAS: 0-100 mm). All the parameters were compared between the two parcels. Results showed that Mycorrhizal frequency, the number of spores and the roots system development between fumigated soil and non-fumigated one were respectively ((99.3 ± 2.8 vs. 100); (69 ± 12.3 vs. 137.5 ± 47.8); (23.8 ± 9.6 vs. 63.1 ± 21.6)). Six genera with nine species were identified and three undefined. Glomus genera were the dominant. In multivariate analysis, the roots system development was dependant to the fumigation status (yes/no), the vesicular content and the mycorrhization frequency. The roots system development was dependant to the fumigation status (yes/no) and spores number. As conclusion, this study suggests that the fumigation has a significant effect on the mycorrhization colonisation of roots, diversity of AMF and roots system development of strawberry.