EFFECT OF A COMPOSITE ENDOMYCORRHIZAL INOCULUM ON THE MANIFESTATION OF CHICKPEA WILT, CAUSED BY Fusarium solani

The effect of a composite endomycorrhizal inoculum is tested on the occurrence of Fusarium wilt, caused by Fusarium solani, in chickpea plants. Eight weeks after inoculation, the aerial part’s length (24 cm), aerial part’s fresh weight (4.5 g), fresh root weight (5.54 g), leaves’ number (22) and the number of pods (4) are higher than those found in plants inoculated with F. solani (respectively 2.78 cm, 0.24 g, 0.80 g, 5 and 0 pods). A significant improvement in these parameters is noted in the mycorrhizal plants inoculated with F. solani (respectively 19.6 cm, 2.30 g, 2.88 g, 14 and 2). Similary, the mycorrhization influenced the ability of F. solani to alter the foliage of chickpea plants, the leaf alteration index calculated is about 0.105 and that of plants only inoculated by F. solani is 0.685. Mycorrhization also reduced the infection of chickpea plants by F. solani, the isolation percentages of this pathogen from the roots and stems of mycorrhizal and inoculated plants are respectively 41.66 and 33.33% that they are 100% in plants inoculated with F. solani. The endomycorrhizal composite inoculum showed high activity in the soil of the rhizosphere of the plants, 8 endomycorrhizal species belonging to the genera Glomus and Acaulospora sporulated at the level of the mycorrhizal plants and 6 species belonging to the genera Glomus and Entrophospora sporulated in the rhizosphere soil of mycorrhizal plants and inoculated by F. solani.