Development of on-farm AMF inoculum production for sustainable agriculture in Senegal

The integration of endomycorrhizal fungi into agricultural practices as inoculum offers the potential to improve plant productivity while reducing reliance on expensive chemical fertilizers, which are not only economically costly but also detrimental to the environment. Mycorrhizal fungi play a crucial role in facilitating plant access to essential mineral elements (such as Phosphorus, Potassium, etc.) and water, particularly in soils characterized by arid and semi-arid conditions. where these resources are often limited. Despite the obvious advantages, the development of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) inoculum production in Africa is progressing on a small scale. This research aims to address this limitation by exploring the feasibility of producing mycorrhizal inoculum on a semi-industrial farm scale, achieved through the control and stabilization of production parameters. Crop residues as peanut shell, rice husk, sugar cane bagasse and millet ears were tested in Leonard jars and pots as alternatives to conventional sand production substrate for the multiplication of mycorrhizal fungi Glomus aggregatum IR27, Funneliformis mosseae, Rhizophagus irregulares and Glomus fasciculatum R10. Significant results were obtained on the peanut shell. Under mass production conditions in farm scale, Glomus aggregatum IR27 showed the best mycorization characteristics with 19.76% intensity and 88.93% frequencies. The study highlighted the critical considerations of irrigation water salt content and substrate sterilization as essential parameters to ensure optimal development of mycorrhizal propagules. Water containing 0.5% salt inhibited the mycorrhization. This negative effect of salt was much more accentuated in unsterilized peanut shell substrate than in sterilized one. This experimental study constitutes a pioneering initiative, potentially replicable in other agricultural areas. Its sustainability is based on the simplicity and efficiency of the technology, which opens the prospect of increasing the number of AMF inoculum production units on a national scale in Senegal.