EFECTO DE DOS CEPAS DE HONGOS MICORRIZÍCOS ARBUSCULARES EN EL DESARROLLO DEL CULTIVO DE PIMENTÓN (CAPSICUN ANNUM L.), A NIVEL DE INVERNADERO The Effect of Two Strains of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi on the Development of Pepper (Capsicun annum L.) Cultivation in the Greenhouse

This experiment was conducted at the Technical Phytosanitary Unit (Unidad Tecnica Fitosanitaria-UTF) at the University of Zulia and was represented by 60 plants of the California Wonder variety of peppers. A completely random design of blocks with three treatments and twenty repetitions was used. Two strains of mycorrhizal fungi were used: Glomusmosseae and Glomusmanihotis. The plants were obtained in greenhouses using trays with a sterile soil mix. The following variables were measured to determine the effect of treatments: total fresh mass, total dry mass, percentage of mycorrhizal colonization and nutrient content in the foliage. The results were statistically processed using the SAS package. Mycorrhizal colonization had a positive effect on most of the agronomic variables analyzed in plants inoculated with G. mosseae and G. manihotis; this was* not so in the control treatment. Plants inoculated with G. mosseae recorded a proportion of 70.3% colonization while those inoculated with G. manihotis registered 48%. Regarding the nutrient content in the foliage, there were significant differences in the treatment with G. mosseae for phosphorus content but not for nitrogen and potassium content. The control treatment was null for all the analyses.