Effects of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi formulations on the root morphological traits of rooted cuttings of two fig (Ficus carica L.) cultivars

Aim of the study was to test the effects of different arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) composition on growth of rooted cuttings of two fig cultivars: ‘Dottato’ and ‘Natalese’. The rooted cuttings were inoculated with three different commercial microbial formulation: Mycor, containing Glomus intraradices; Micosat F, containing a mixture of selected arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, bacteria and streptomices derived from rhizosphere; Aegis Argilla, containing Glomus intraradices and Glomus mosseae. The commercial microbial formulation was added to the growth substrate, composed by a 1:1:1; v:v:v mixture of sterilized soil:peat:sand. 220 days after the mycorrhizal inoculation, on the rooted cuttings were measured the biometric parameters and, by an image analysis system (WinRHIZO), were evaluated the root morphological traits. In both the cultivars examined all the mycorrhizal treatments significantly increased the growth of the rooted cuttings. The study evidenced that in fig the effects of mycorrhizal composition on roots morphology is cultivar dependent.