Impact of Previous Vegetation Cover on Mycorrhizal Colonization and Performance of Moringa oleifera in Rainforest Regions of Cameroon

Abstract

Moringa oleifera is a nutritional and medicinal plant. Conditions required for its cultivation have not yet been fully determined. This study was carried out in two localities in Cameroon to assess the impact of the previous vegetation cover (forest, Chromolaena odorata fallows and crop field) on mycorrhization and plant growth of M. oleifera. M. oleifera seedlings were grown in a greenhouse for 3 months in soil samples from the top soil layer. Plant height was measured every 2 weeks after sowing. Plant mortality, mycorrhizal colonization rate, plant height and biomass production were recorded after three months at the end of the experiment. Statistical analyses showed an effect of the type of previous land use on mycorrhizal colonization and growth of M. oleifera. The soil that had been C. odorata fallows was found to be more suitable for M. oleifera cropping in rainforest areas. In the second phase, soil biological and physicochemical properties will be determined to understand the extent to which these factors exert an impact on the mycorrhizal colonization rate and on M. oleifera performance.