Improved Sclerocarya birrea (A. Rich.) Hochst. growth by mycorrhizal inoculation

Abstract

Sclerocarya birrea is a multipurpose species which is recognized as a plant species of commercial, medicinal and cultural importance in Africa. However, it remains in the wild and its production and existence are dependent on the vagaries of the weather. This study was carried out to improve this plant growth by mycorrhizal inoculation. In this study, Sclerocarya birrea was grown in the greenhouse for nine months and inoculated with three mycorrhizal inocula. The height and the collar diameter were measured at three and nine months after sowing. The shoot, root and total biomass as well as the relative growth rate in height and the collar diameter were evaluated at nine months after sowing. The results of this study show that the roots of Sclerocarya birrea are relatively mycorrhized by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and the M1 inoculum appears to be the best of all the inocula used. This inoculum improves height growth by 31.72% (9th month after sowing), collar diameter by 77.27% and 80.15% (respectively at 3rd and 9th month after sowing) and relative growth rate in height by 71.43%, shoot biomass of Sclerocariat birrea by 59.95%, root biomass by 101.75% and total biomass by 66.99% compared to the control.