EFFECT OF VERMICOMPOST ASSOCIATED WITH MYCORHIZAL FUNGI ON THE GROWTH OF EGGPLANT IN ORGANIC GREENHOUSE AGRICULTURE

Abstract

Background. In West Africa, the eggplant crop participates in the fight against rural poverty, hunger and malnutrition due to their higher nutritional contents. However, this crop is faced with several constraints including poor soils and low yielding cultivars. It is known that mycorhization of plants improves plant nutrition while preserving them from certain pests. Objective. To evaluate the combination of mycorhization and vermicompost effect on eggplant plants growth and yield. Methodology. A consortium of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) from forest soils was trapped using maize roots and used as inoculum for eggplant, Djamba F1 variety. A trial using this inoculum combined or not to vermicompost was carried out for 90 days under a greenhouse. Selected soil properties, eggplant growth and yield indicator were recorded at the end of trial. Results. As expected, soil vermicompost alone or combined to inoculum displayed an increase of soil parameter such as pH, exchangeable base cations, total organic matter, total nitrogen compared to control and soil with AM alone. Soil with AM alone had a limited impact on the growth and yield of eggplant. In contrast, all treatments including vermicompost (vermicompost alone and vermicompost + AM) showed a significant increase of eggplant growth parameters and yield’s indicators. Implications. These results highlighted a need to carry out a screening of mycorrhizal fungi from eggplant production areas to isolate and identify the efficient strains of mycorrhizal fungi for symbiosis with eggplant under tropical conditions. Conclusion. The vermicompost significantly improved the growth of the eggplant. Its coupling with a consortium of spores of the genera results in better plant growth and yield. This combination has a significant effect on the studied parameters (height, crown diameter, biomass and yield).