Effect of the inoculation of phosphate solubilizing microorganisms and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in Eugenia dysenterica plants grown on different substrates

Phosphate solubilizing microorganisms (PSM) and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) represent alternative strategies to reduce the cost and increase the production of cagaita (Eugenia dysenterica) seedlings associated with different substrates. This study aimed to assess the effect of inoculating PSM and AMF in different substrates for cagaita (Eugenia dysenterica) culturing. The experiment was installed with a completely randomized design, using a 4 × 2 factorial scheme, with four inoculation treatments (PSM, AMF, PSM + AMF, and Control – absence of inoculation), and two soils substrates (pure sandy substrate and mixed substrate). The substrates and microorganism had influence in cagaita seedling growth. The pure substrate conferred better performance of plant growth parameters. In this substrate, cagaita seedlings had higher stem diameter, shoot fresh and dry weight, root volume and root dry weight. The cultivation of seedlings in pure substrate inoculated with AMF and PSM provided greater Mo content in the leaves. The higher root volume of cagaita seedlings was obtained with the inoculation of PSM. A sandy substrate seems to be the most adequate for the cultivation of cagaita seedlings. In addition, co-inoculation provides higher Fe, Mg, and K content in the leaves, as this work showed.