Effect of Biofertilizers Based on Mycorrhizal Fungi (Rhizophagus intraradices) and Aquatic Ferns (Azolla filiculoïdes) on Agromorphological Parameters of Chilli Pepper (Capsicum chinense L.) Grown on Distric Plinthic Ferralsol in Daloa, Côte d'Ivoire

The main aim of the study is to use mycorrhizal fungi (Rhizophages intraradices) and water fern (Azolla filiculoïdes) as biofertilizers to improve chilli productivity in an organic farming concept. The experiment was carried out at the Jean Lorougnon University experimental farm in Daloa in 2023. The methodology consisted in setting up a two-repetition randomized Fisher block design with five treatments (Rhizophages intraradices, Azolla filiculoïdes, Rhizophages intraradices-Azolla filiculoïdes combination and a control), in which 12 seedlings were transplanted. At transplanting, biofertilizers were applied as background fertilizer, compared with an unfertilized control, at a rate of 150g/pack of crushed Rhizophages intraradices; 50g/pack of fresh, well-crushed Azolla filiculoïdes 50g/pack of a mixture of Rhizophages intraradices and Azolla filiculoïdes and 1.5g of NPK in an 8 cm radius around the pepper plant. Growth and production parameters assessed included: collar diameter, number of leaves, plant height, leaf width and length, number of flowers, fruits and mass at harvest. The data obtained were subjected to an analysis of variance with Statistica 7.1 software at the 5% threshold. The results clearly showed that the different treatments had a significant effect on all the growth and production parameters of the pepper plants at the 5% threshold. However, it should be noted that Azolla filiculoïdes had the greatest effect on agromorphological parameters, followed by Rhizophages intraradices, the Rhizophages intraradices-Azolla filiculoïdes combination and, finally, NPK in descending order. In Conclusion, the aquatic fern, Azolla filiculoïdes, appears to be the best biofertilizer likely to improve growth and development in the BIG SUN pepper plant, compared with the mycorrhizal fungus (Rhizophages intraradices). It could be an alternative for improving the fertility of agricultural soils.