EFFECT OF COVER CROPS ON MAIZE (ZEA MAYS L.) ASSOCIATIONS WITH BENEFICIAL FUNGI OF SOIL

Abstract

One of the most challenging issues of agroecological productions systems is the development of cropping methods that stimulate soil beneficial microorganism. The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of cover crops in the mycorrhizal associations of maize as a subsequent crop. Maize, double hybrid AG 1051, was cultivated in the straw dead of the following cover crops: velvet bean (Mucuna pruriens.), sunn (Crotalaria junceae), sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) and consortia between grasses and legumes. For each treatment were quantified spores of mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) in rhizosphere soil, the presence of fungal structures AMF and endophytic fungi like Dark Septated in the roots of maize. It was observed that cover plants interfere in the multiplication of FMA spores, being the consortia between grasses and legumes more efficient in spore multiplication. Fungal structures, such as: Hyphae, vesicles, arbuscules and spores were present in roots of maize planted on the straw of all cover crops. Treatments sorghum/sunn and sorghum/velvet bean were those with higher percentages. The endophytes Dark Septated types are present in roots of maize grown on sorghum/crotalaria and sorghum/velvet bean straw. This work will subsidize the development of agro-ecological farming methods with the use of cover crops to improve the interactions between plants and beneficial fungi of soil.