Synergistic effects of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF) consortium on root colonization and growth of maize (Zea mays L.) under greenhouse conditions

Abstract This study evaluates the synergistic interaction between Saccharomyces cerevisiae and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) on the growth and root colonization of maize ( Zea mays L.) under greenhouse conditions. The AMF consortia were isolated from the rhizosphere of two native Algerian species: date palm ( Phoenix dactylifera L.) and olive ( Olea europaea L.). Greenhouse experiments demonstrated that co-inoculation with S. cerevisiae and AMF significantly enhanced plant performance. The 1:2 AMF:SC treatment increased plant height to 63.3 ± 1.6 cm and germination index to 8.47 ± 0.22, compared to 47.5 ± 1.2 cm and 6.32 ± 0.19 in the AMF-only treatment, respectively. Root colonization also improved markedly, with hyphal density 85% higher than the control. Histological analysis confirmed abundant arbuscule formation and active symbiosis. The observed growth enhancement is likely supported by mechanisms reported for S. cerevisiae , such as phytohormone production and phosphate solubilization. These findings demonstrate a promising microbial co-inoculation strategy to improve maize productivity in semi-arid soils.