Abstract
The arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis is formed between arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and plant roots. The fungi provide the plant with inorganic phosphate (P). The symbiosis can result in increased plant growth. Although most global food crops naturally form this symbiosis, very few studies have shown that their practical application can lead to large-scale increases in food production. Application of AMF to crops in the tropics is potentially effective for improving yields. However, a main problem of using AMF on a large-scale is producing cheap inoculum in a clean sterile carrier and sufficiently concentrated to cheaply transport. Recently, mass-produced in vitro inoculum of the model mycorrhizal fungus Rhizophagus irregularis became available, potentially making its use viable in tropical agriculture. One of the most globally important food plants in the tropics is cassava. We evaluated the effect of in vitro mass-produced R. irregularis inoculum on the yield of cassava crops at two locations in Colombia. A significant effect of R. irregularis inoculation on yield occurred at both sites. At one site, yield increases were observed irrespective of P fertilization. At the other site, inoculation with AMF and 50% of the normally applied P gave the highest yield. Despite that AMF inoculation resulted in greater food production, economic analyses revealed that AMF inoculation did not give greater return on investment than with conventional cultivation. However, the amount of AMF inoculum used was double the recommended dose and was calculated with European, not Colombian, inoculum prices. R. irregularis can also be manipulated genetically in vitro, leading to improved plant growth. We conclude that application of in vitro R. irregularis is currently a way of increasing cassava yields, that there is a strong potential for it to be economically profitable and that there is enormous potential to improve this efficiency further in the future.
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Claims 6
Claim · model-written summary
R. irregularis inoculation had a significant effect on cassava yield at both sites.
- Taxon
- Cassava
Manihot esculentat0 - Treatment
- R. irregularis inoculatione1
- Interactor
- R. irregularis
Rhizophagus irregularise1symbiont - Outcome
- yielde1
- Setting
- two locations in Colombiae0
Not reportedComparatorDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Food Security Crop Cassava”
e0“We evaluated the effect of in vitro mass-produced R. irregularis inoculum on the yield of cassava crops at two locations in Colombia”
e1“A significant effect of R. irregularis inoculation on yield occurred at both sites”
Claim · model-written summary
R. irregularis inoculation increased cassava yield at one site irrespective of P fertilization.
- Taxon
- CassavaManihot esculentat0
- Treatment
- R. irregularis inoculatione1
- Interactor
- R. irregularisRhizophagus irregularise1symbiont
- Outcome
- yielde2
- Direction
- increasese2
- Qualifier
- irrespective of P fertilizatione2
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Food Security Crop Cassava”
e1“A significant effect of R. irregularis inoculation on yield occurred at both sites”
e2“At one site, yield increases were observed irrespective of P fertilization”
Claim · model-written summary
Inoculation with AMF and 50% of the normally applied P gave the highest cassava yield at the other site.
- Taxon
- CassavaManihot esculentat0
- Treatment
- inoculation with AMF and 50% of the normally applied Pe3
- Interactor
- AMFe3symbiont
- Outcome
- highest yielde3
- Direction
- higheste3
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Food Security Crop Cassava”
e3“At the other site, inoculation with AMF and 50% of the normally applied P gave the highest yield”
Claim · model-written summary
AMF inoculation did not give a greater return on investment than conventional cultivation.
- Taxon
- CassavaManihot esculentat0
- Treatment
- AMF inoculatione4
- Interactor
- AMFe4symbiont
- Outcome
- return on investmente4
- Direction
- did not give greatere4
- Qualifier
- double the recommended dosee5
- Comparator
- conventional cultivatione4
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Food Security Crop Cassava”
e4“economic analyses revealed that AMF inoculation did not give greater return on investment than with conventional cultivation”
e5“the amount of AMF inoculum used was double the recommended dose and was calculated with European, not Colombian, inoculum prices”
Claim · model-written summary
Application of in vitro R. irregularis is currently a way of increasing cassava yields.
- Taxon
- CassavaManihot esculentat0
- Treatment
- application of in vitro R. irregularise6
- Outcome
- a way of increasing cassava yieldse6
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Food Security Crop Cassava”
e6“We conclude that application of in vitro R. irregularis is currently a way of increasing cassava yields”
Claim · model-written summary
In vitro R. irregularis has a strong potential to be economically profitable in cassava.
- Taxon
- CassavaManihot esculentat0
- Outcome
- economically profitablee7
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Food Security Crop Cassava”
e7“there is a strong potential for it to be economically profitable”
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