Efficiency of some local isolates of arbuscular mycorrhizae in the growth and productivity of potatoes (Solanum tuberosum L.) in plastic pots

Abstract

The present study was conducted using plastic pots to investigate the efficiency of 15 local isolates of mycorrhizal fungi in enhancing the growth and productivity of Arizona variety potatoes (Solanum tuberosum L.). These isolates were obtained from various wild plants, including the Sweet rush plant, Sudan grass, and Millet, collected from different districts in Diyala Governorate. The isolates were obtained through the single spore cultivation technique in the Department of Agricultural Research in Al-Zafaraniya. The results demonstrated that all 15 fungal isolates had the ability to infect the roots of potato plants. Notably, M11 showed a significant superiority in infection severity (98.3%), the number of spores was 67.67 spores/gm of soil, and the infection rate was 90.0%. The results also highlighted the impact of these isolates on various parameters related to vegetative and root growth as well as yield. Specifically, isolates M1 and M12 were found to be superior in promoting plant height and increasing leaf area, which reached 218.3 cm2. Isolate M4 was superior in increasing the chlorophyll content of leaves, reaching a level of 47.4 spad. In the context of vegetative growth, isolate M3 produced a notable fresh weight of 8.236 g, while isolate M8 yielded a dry vegetative weight of 7.533 g. Regarding the root system, isolate M11 displayed superiority in root length, reaching 45.20 cm. Isolate M8 showed a higher number of tubers, amounting to 11.33 g, whereas isolate M7 produced tubers with a weight of 178.5 g.