IDENTIFICATION, BIOASSAY AND EVALUATION OF MYCORRHIZA FOR UTILIZATION IN CASSAVA AND SWEETPOTATO PRODUCTION

Abstract

The mycorrhizal fungi observed in various places in Leyte were found in cassava, sweetpotato, legume, vegetable and plantation crops. Gigaspora and Glomus were the most commonly isolated local mycorrhizal genera. Higher infection was noted in cassava (Golden Yellow) than in sweetpotato (BNAS-51). Isolates obtained from cassava cultivar (Colombia) were infective on sweetpotato, with Gigaspora sp. causing the highest infection. The most suitable age of sweetpotato and cassava for inoculation with vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhiza (VAM) was found to be 2 and 3 wks after planting, respectively. In sweetpotato, root-mycorrhizal association was observed 6 wks after inoculation while in cassava, it was 4 wks after inoculation. The use of rhizosphere soil mixed with mycorrhizal spores as inoculum resulted in higher root infection than with the use of spores (in paper) and infected roots.