Molecular characterisation of a mycorrhizal inoculant that enhances Trifolium alexandrium resistance under water stress conditions

The occurrence of drought is an economically important problem in Morocco. The use of mycorrhizal technology offers a possibility to overcome this problem. A mycorrhizal fungal inoculum "Aoufous Complex" isolated in Morocco was shown to enhance Trifolium alexandrium resistance in water deficit situation. The efficiency of this inoculum was confirmed in this study. In order to identify this inoculum, specific primers were used to amplify the 18S subunit. The AluI RFLP typing of the PCR products revealed a single pattern showing no diversity. Phylogenetic analyses of seven sequences including other glomeromycetes allowed an unambiguous identification of the "Aoufous Complex" as Glomus mosseae strains.