Jatobazeiro seedlings associated with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi

Abstract The symbiotic association between native fruit species with Arbuscular Mycorrhizal fungi (AMFs) can contribute to the growth and quality of seedlings in soils with low nutrient availability. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of inoculation with AMFs and phosphate fertilization on the growth and quality of jatobazeiro seedlings ( LHymenaea courbaril.). The experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design in a 5 x 5 factorial scheme. The treatments were constituted by inoculation with the AMFs: Clareoideoglomus etunicatum, Rhizoglomus heterosporum, Rhizoglomus clarum, MIX (mixture of inoculations) and without inoculation with the AMFs, associated with five P doses: 0, 60, 120, 180 and 240 mg kg-1, with growth evaluation at 30, 60, 90, 120 and 150 days after transplantation (DAT). At 150 DAT, the production of biomass, the quality of seedlings, the chlorophyll index, the dependence and mycorrhizal efficiency were determined. Phosphorus did not contribute to the jatobazeiro seedlings growth in the conditions of this study. Seedlings with R. clarum and MIX had the highest growth at 150 DAT, while seedlings with R. clarum also resulted in a greater biomass accumulation. The mycorrhizal dependence and efficiency was affected by phosphate fertilization, evidencing that jatobazeiro is a kind of optional mycorrhizal association.