Soil Physico-Chemical Properties and Different Altitudes Affect Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi Abundance and Colonization in Cacao Plantations of Cameroon
This study aims to
investigate the abundance of AMF according to soil properties and altitudes in
different cacao plantations of Cameroon. Physico-chemical analyses were made on soil samples collected
from three agro-ecological zones.
Soil samples were also used to evaluate directly the AMF abundance following
the various altitudes and after trapping by sorghum plant. The results showed
that soil properties, AMF spore abundances and colonization fluctuated significantly at different altitudes. The
most represented texture was sandy loam. The bimodal zone presented a
homogeneous texture (sandy loam) in all its localities. Cacao soil chemical
characteristics showed that, the highest
nitrogen rate (0.47%; p <0.05, Scott-Knott test) was
recorded at Melong in a monomodal zone while
Tonga in the Western highlands displayed the lowest rate (0.13%). Soil P
concentration was significantly high in monomodal zones (Mbanga and Melong). Soil pH level indicated that the soil from
Tonga in the Western highlands was neutral (pH = 6.67), and soils of other
localities under study were acidic with the lowest (4.75) pH level recorded at
Melong in a monomodal zone. In soil samples, the highest spore density (1.03
spores/g soil) was observed at Ntui in Bimodal zone, while the lowest spore
density (0.26 spores/g soil) was observed at Bafang in the Western highlands. Root colonization showed that the sample from
Bokito in a bimodal zone displayed the best frequency of mycorrhization
(86.11%) while the sample from Bafang
in the Western highlands recorded the lowest (27.11%). The PCA analysis
highlighted that available phosphorus, pH and altitude all strongly correlated
with AMF root colonization ability and can be used as a predictor of AMF
colonization ability in cacao rhizosphere.
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