Efficacy of Native Strains of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi on Maize Productivity on Ferralitic Soil in Benin

In a context of sustainable agriculture, the use of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) represents a potential tool for environmentally friendly agricultural management in the face of the challenges of climate change and the reduction in the costs and disadvantages of mineral fertilization. This study therefore aims to evaluate the performance of five indigenous strains of AMF (Glomus caledonius, Rhizophagus intraradices, Funneliformis geosporum, Acaulospora capsicula, Acaulospora dilatata and Diversispora globifera) on maize productivity. The experimental design was a split-split plot with three replicates with chemical fertilizer and type of mycorrhizal fungus as factors. The different parameters of growth, yield and mycorrhization were evaluated. The results obtained showed that inoculation of corn with the native strains of AMF had a significant effect (P < 0.01) on corn growth and yield. Of all the native AMF strains, co-inoculation of G. caledonius + R. intraradices + F. geosporum in combination with 50% NPK + Urea of the recommended dose induced the best growth and an increase in maize grain yield of 62.5% compared to uninoculated plants. In addition, the root colonization rate of maize plants was 46% for a quantity of 2 and 3 spores/g of soil. The study shows the possibility of valorizing Benin’s indigenous AMF as bio-fertilizers while reducing by 50% the use of mineral fertilizers for maize cultivation.