EFEITO DE MICORRIZAS ARBUSCULARES SOBRE O CRESCIMENTO E NUTRI O MINERAL DE Brachiaria brizantha CV. MARANDU

We evaluated the effects of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) inoculation - Glomus mossaea, G. fasciculatum, G. etunicatum, G. macrocarpum, Gigaspora margarita, Scutellospora heterogama, Acaulospora laevis and A. muricata - on dry matter (DM) yields, and phosphorus, nitrogen, calcium, magnesium and potassium contents and uptake by Brachiaria brizantha cv. Marandu under greenhouse conditions. The AM inoculation promoted significant increments on dry matter (DM) yields and phosphorus contents and uptake. The highest DM yields were observed with the inoculation of A. muricata and S. heterogama. The more effective fungi in relation to P concentration were S. heterogama, G. etunicatum, A. muricata and G. margarita. The plants inoculated with A. muricata and G. etunicatum and S. heterogama exhibited higher phosphorus uptake. The highest percentage of root colonization occurred in plants inoculated with A. muricata e G. fasciculatum and G. margarita. The higher nitrogen contents were provided for plants inoculated with G. macrocarpum, G. etunicatum and G. mossaea. Plants inoculated with G. etunicatum recorded higher calcium and magnesium contents, while those inoculated with G. mossaea presented the highest potassium concentration.