Impact of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus (<i>Rhizophagus irregularis</i>) on disease symptoms caused by the ascomycete fungus (<i>Mycosphaerella fijiensis M.</i>) in Black Sigatoka-resistant banana plantain

Abstract

Banana (Musa spp.) is grown throughout the tropical and subtropical areas. The Black Sigatoka, however, represents a major threat to world production. This study evaluates the effect of the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus (AMF) Rhizophagus irregularis MUCL 41833 on four plantain cultivars with different resistance against Mycosphaerella fijiensis. The mycorrhized banana plantlets of four cultivars were grown under greenhouse and the effect of AMF on micropropagated banana plantlets was evaluated. After 35 days, the height and the diameter of the pseudostem, then the leaf area were measured. The significant effect of the cultivar on the height of the pseudostem and the leaf area and significant effect of M. fijiensis on the diameter of the pseudostem, the height of the pseudostem and the leaf area were obtained. Plants infected with M. fijiensis show more symptoms of the disease than healthy plants. Symptoms were delayed in bananas inoculated with AMF compared to bananas not inoculated with AMF. The disease progressed more rapidly in cultivars Bâtard and C292 than in cultivars CRBP39 and F568. These results suggest that AMF may decrease symptoms of Sigatoka, at the early stage of infection with M. fijiensis. AMF may be a promising tool for the pre-adaptation of micropropagated banana plantlets.&#x0D; Keywords: Plantain, Rhizophagus irregularis, arbuscular mycorrhiza fungi, Mycosphaerella fijiensis, disease control method.

Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi and Higher Plants

“…After 35 days of growth, it was observed that AM fungi inoculated CRBP39 and F568 showed more resistance than Batard and C292 cultivars toward M. fijiensis. The overall study signifies that AMF inoculation resists the development of host plant infectious symptoms by M. fijiensis at an early age of infection (Anda et al 2020). Symbiotic association of AM fungi R. intraradices, with alfalfa (Medicago sativa), decreases the incidence of leaf spot disease caused by the fungus Phoma medicaginis by 39.48% and also reduces its disease index by 56.18% .…”

Growth, late blight and yield response of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) to arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi inoculation in West region of Cameroon

“…Biological control measures such as arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) have shown an increase in plant resistance against diseases (Anda et al, 2020;Dey and Ghosh, 2022). AMF are obligate root symbionts that form associations with about 80% of terrestrial plant species, including beans, maize, tomato, and potato.…”