Produçao de mudas de pupunheira colonizadas por fungos micorrizicos arbusculares

The effects of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) on pejibaye (Bactris gasipaes H.B.K.) seedlings were evaluated in a greenhouse experiment (Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuaria/Centro Nacional de Pesquisa em Agrobiologia, Seropedica, State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), conducted in a completely randomized design with two treatments, inoculated and uninoculated with AMF. In the treatment with inoculation, a mixed inoculum of Glomus clarum Nicolson & Schenck, Glomus etunicatum Becker & Gerdemann and Gigaspora margarita Becker & Hall was applied during transplanting the seedlings to plastic bags with desinfected soil. Twelve plants per treatment were harvested eight months after transplanting. Inoculation with AMF increased significantly growth and nutrient absorption of pejibaye seedlings, in comparison with the control. On an average, there was 45% increase in plant height, 22% in stem diameter, 140% in shoot dry weight, 89% in root dry weight, 180% in leaf area, 40% in rachis length of the youngest fully open leaf, 70% in total P, 80% in total K and 159% in total N, accumulated in the shoots. These preliminary results show that utilization of AMF increases substantially the development of pejibaye seedlings.