Importancia ambiental y socioeconómica de las micorrizas en el cultivo de cacao caso: hacienda cata, municipio Ocumare costa de oro, estado Aragua Venezuela

in the north coastal region of cata, ocumare of the gold coast in aragua state, venezuela, a case study was conducted in the cata farm, between coordinates 10 o 30 '00''n, 67° 45' 00''67 o 37 '00''w. l. the purpose were: a) to study the environmental and socioeconomic importance of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (amf) in cocoa plantations, theobroma cacao l., b) to know the natural status of mycorrhizae in cocoa plants; c) to promote, between farmers, the knowledge, application, protection, conservation and use of these fungi in cocoa plantations. for the socioeconomic study, a universe of 32 farmers qualitative research techniques. the presence of amf, was evaluated in soil samples collected at rhizosphere level in three cocoa lots. with regard to socio-economic aspect, the results indicate that 68.76% of the farmers recognized the cocoa as the most important economic activity in a direct way; and about the benefits of mycorrhiza in the cocoa agrosystem, 56.25% of them identified the contribution of phosphorus and 43,75% believe that this symbiosis increase production and can reduce problems that affect the crop. in relation to the natural status of mycorrhizae, all samples showed mycorrhized roots; however, % of mycorrhized root length varied between 2.8 and 13.3 %, theses values can be considered low in relation to other cocoa agroecosystems