Evaluation of the resilience of Rhizophagus intraradices inoculated on hybrid Brachiaria grass ‘Mavuno’

The technology to produce mycorrhizal biofertilizers has given a remarkable impulse, but it is necessary to know the resilience of mycorrhizal inoculums. The objective was to evaluate the multiplication capacity and persistence of the mycorrhizal species Rhizophagus intraradices (R. intraradices) on the hybrid Brachiaria grass ‘Mavuno’. The number of spores, the spatial distribution of spores in the beds and the percentage and intensity of root colonization in the two propagation beds of R. intraradices were determined. Chemical and physical characteristics of the substrate in each bed were analyzed. Student’s t-test for two independent samples (p < 0.05) and chi-squared test were used for data analysis. R. intraradices species reproduced more spores g-1 of substrate in both beds in 2023. In the years 2022 and 2023, the number of spores in bed 1 was 26% and 41% higher than in bed 2, respectively. The spatial distribution of spores in the beds was more heterogeneous in 2023. Nitrogen, phosphorus and organic matter contents differed between the substrates used, which may have influenced the efficacy of R. intraradices species. A high potential for multiplication and resilience of R. intraradices reflected under the experimental conditions studied was found.