Study of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi Population and Diversity in Robusta Coffee (Coffea canephora Pierre) Plantation in the District of West Lampung, Indonesia

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are beneficial fungi that occur naturally in the soil. However, their population and diversity may be affected by both biotic and abiotic factors. This study aimed to assess the population and diversity of AMF in the rhizosphere of Robusta coffee cultivated in the West Lampung District, Indonesia. Soil samples were taken from two coffee cropping systems: monocropping and mixed cropping. Samples were taken from seven points, each consisting of three coffee plants. For each plant, soil samples were collected from a depth of 20 cm at two points, each located 20 cm from the base of the coffee stem. The samples from the three coffee plants at each point were then composited to represent a single sample point. The wet sieving method was used to isolate AMF spores from the soil samples. AMF propagules in the soil samples were propagated using the trapping culture method with maize and sorghum as host plants. The results indicated that AMF spore abundance in mixed cropping (107.1 spores/50 g soil) was higher than in monocropped coffee (61.3 spores/50 g soil). From the trapping culture, five species of AMF were found in the mixed coffee cropping system (S1, S3, S4, S5, and S7), while six species (S1, S2, S3, S4, S6, and S7) were identified in the coffee monocropping system. AMF species S5 were present only in the mixed coffee cropping system, whereas species S2 and S6 were exclusive to the monocropping system.