Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are beneficial for plant development and help absorb water and minerals from the soil. The symbiosis between these fungi and plant roots is extremely important and could limit crop dependence on fertilizers. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of AMF on tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum L.), based on important agronomic traits of vegetative biomass, production, and fruits. The experiment was conducted in high tunnels, using 12 tomato genotypes under three different treatments: T1, control, without fertilizer and mycorrhizae colonization; T2, fertigation, without mycorrhizae colonization; and T3, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), seedling roots being inoculated with specialized soil-borne fungi. Plant growth, yield and fruit parameters indicated better results under mycorrhizal treatment. Root colonization with fungi varied significantly depending on the treatment and genotype, with a variation of 6.0-80.3% for frequency and 2.6-24.6% for intensity. For a majority of characteristics, the mycorrhization (T3) induced significant differences compared with the T1 and T2 treatments. In addition, AMF treatment induced a different response among the genotypes. Among the elements analyzed in the soil, significant differences were observed in phosphorous levels between planting the seedlings and after tomato harvesting and clearing of the plants. The results suggest that reducing fertilizers and promoting the symbiotic relationships of plants with soil microorganisms may have beneficial consequences for tomato crops.
Keywords: cultivar; mycorrhizae; nutrients uptake; soil analysis; soil microorganisms; tomato quality and yield.