Micorrizas arbusculares inducen la resistencia contra marchitamiento por Fusarium en cebolla en Boyacá, Colombia

Bulb onion (Allium cepa L.) is a globally consumed vegetable, and as the global population increases, demand for this crop is continuously rising. Unfortunately, production is significantly reduced—up to 40%—due to Fusarium wilt, a fungal disease caused by the Fusarium genus. In Boyacá, Colombia, one of the central onion-producing regions, chemical control is the primary method for controlling this disease despite the negative impact of chemicals on soil health and their decreasing efficacy. One alternative management strategy is resistance induction through microorganisms, which has been tested with the Trichoderma genus but not with native populations of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). This study aims to evaluate the resistance-inducing effect of a consortium of native AMF from Boyacá on the bulb onion. Fusarium oxysporum pathogens and native AMF were isolated from A. cepa L. crops in Boyacá and tested under greenhouse conditions for 18 weeks in a completely randomized design. The study evaluated the effects of the pathogen and AMF consortium on leaf number, average leaf area, and bulb growth. It found resistance-induction and growth promotion effects, as well as the adverse effects of the pathogen and the combined effects of both microorganisms. The findings suggest that native AMF consortia from Boyacá exerted a protective impact against Fusarium wilt, improving plant productivity under sterile soil conditions.