The study focuses on a species of desert truffle Terfezia boudieri Chatin, an edible hypogeous mushroom with food value and economic and ecological interest in Algeria. This fungal species commonly growing in arid and semi-arid regions of Algeria in association with Helianthemum spp. was collected for the first time in a rare natural habitat located on the coastal dunes of northwestern Algeria. Surveys carried out in the Dunes forest of Stidia made it possible to determine the pedoclimatic parameters and to identify the natural host plant essential for the development of T. boudieri ascomata and the accompanying plant species. The results revealed that this species of desert truffle grows in a semi-arid bioclimate with maritime influences, on sandy-loamy, alkaline and non-saline soil. The natural production of ascomata is irregular from year to year ; it is closely linked to a well-distributed rainfall from October to April with a maximum in December and an adequate temperature during the fungal growth season. Floristic surveys reveal the presence of a variable phytodiversity represented by 15 families including that of H. ledifolium (Cistaceae) ; the only natural host plant forming typical endomycorrhizae with T. boudieri. However, although T. boudieri is still harvested from the Dunes forest of Stidia, the protection and conservation of this forest remains a priority today due to the degradation not only of the rare natural habitat of T. boudieri and of its host plant but above all of the floristic procession often vulnerable to ecological hazards and anthropogenic constraints.
This study concerned the characterization of endomycorrhizal fungi associated to a variety of olive tree which is endemic to Algeria ; the Sigoise variety (Olea europea L.). The study was carried out in western Algeria where the cultivation of this variety is dominant. As methodological approaches, we used techniques that allow to highlight several biological aspects of endomycorrhization. Indeed, the estimation of the natural endomycorrhizal infection in the roots of olive trees was carried out as well as the study of the endomycorrhizal potential of the soil (EMP). Also, an estimation and identification of natural endomycorrhizal fungi of the soil and their effects on the sanitary state (growth) of the olive plants were undertaken in the greenhouse. In results, microscopic examinations of olive tree root fragments revealed a very high mycorrhization rate (more than 80%) with the presence of different structures characteristic of arbuscular endomycorrhizae : arbuscules, vesicles and pellets, independently of the age and season of sampling. Morphological characterization of fungal spores, isolated from rhizospheric soils of olive tree, revealed the presence of three genera belonging to the order of Glomales: Glomus sp., Acaulospora sp. and Gigaspora sp. with a predominance of Glomus. Moreover, the growth parameters of the aerial and underground parts of the olive plants were positively affected after inoculation, which reflects a good sanitary condition of the plants. In conclusion, our work provided additional knowledge on the controlled mycorrhization of olive plants and opened interesting perspectives for the application of this biotechnology to the production of olive plants in greenhouses.
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