Valorisation de la symbiose mycorhizienne des légumineuses alimentaires

Abstract

The main objective of this study is to evaluate the effects of natural biostimulants on the growth of food legumes. The research first focuses on the analysis of physicochemical and microbiological properties of soils cultivated with Sorghum bicolor L. Subsequently, the mycorrhization rate was assessed to facilitate controlled inoculation. Finally, the effects of two biostimulants the green alga Ulva lactuca and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) isolated from Sorghum bicolor are tested on the growth of two legume species: chickpea (Cicer arietinum) and lentil (Lens culinaris). Soil analyses from samples collected under Sorghum bicolor L. in the Chaabat El Leham region (Aïn Témouchent) reveal a clay texture, moderate levels of available phosphorus, and high nitrogen content. Microscopic examination of Sorghum root fragments shows a mycorrhization rate of 83%, indicating strong potential as fungal inoculum. Following inoculation, both tested species exhibit improved growth. In Cicer arietinum, the algae-based treatment enhances plant height and biomass, while the treatment with mycorrhizal roots promotes root colonization more effectively than the combined treatment. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) is used to visualize the relationships between mycorrhization parameters and biometric traits of Cicer arietinum L. The two principal components account for 98.12% of the total variance. The first component, explaining 80.08% of the variance, groups together mycorrhization frequency, intensity, arbuscule percentage, dry weight, and fresh weight, all positively correlated with significant coefficients ranging from 0.69 to 0.91.