Influence of Funneliformis mosseae in the growth and accumulation of dry biomass in Dalia plants

Objetive: in the production of Dahlia spp., only chemical fertilization has been used, and an option that has not yet been explored is the implementation of a microbial inoculant. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of the mycorrhizal fungus Funneliformis mosseae on the growth and development of the dahlia (Dahlia variabilis var. Variegated dwarf). Design/methodology/approach: the seeds were sown in polyethylene bags containing a mixture of black soil, peat moss, and agrolite. A completely randomized design was used, and the treatment structure was 2x3 factorial. The study factors were F. mosseae, chemical fertilization, and substrate sterilization. Results: an analysis of variance was performed, and the mean values of the treatments were compared with Tukey’s test (α = 0.05). Conclusions: with the inoculation of F. mosseae, a significant increase was obtained in the study variables: plant height, stem diameter, number of buds and flowers per plant; leaf + stem, flower, root, and total biomass, compared to non-inoculated plants. A colonization of 89 % in the roots was recorded. A limitation of the study is that the effect of the inoculum on plant growth can vary according to the mycorrhiza species used. In conclusion, inoculation with Funneliformis mosseae increased growth and biomass accumulation in Dahlia plants