Effect of Arbucula Myrrhizal Fungi on an Ecological Crop of Chili Peppers (Capsicum annuum L.)

Mapuche farmers in southern Chile have been cultivating local ecotypes of chili pepper (Capsicum annuum L.), called locally “Cacho de cabra” for many decades. It is used to make “merkén”, a condiment that is consumed locally and exported. This vegetable requires a nursery stage and can obtain nutritional benefits from symbiotic associations such as mycorrhizal fungi, achieving a better adaptation to transplanting. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are obligate biotrophes appearing in abundance in agroecosystems with conservation management. The aim of this study was to compare effectiveness of two AMF, a commercial mycorrhizal inoculant (IC, Glomus intraradices) and another native (IN, Glomus claroideum) with a control without inoculation (-I) on the production and quality of “Cacho de cabra”. At 45 days after sowing (DAS) transplanting was carried out and at 90 and 216 DAS fruit quality, fungal and edaphic parameters were evaluated. The harvest was at four stages. With IN inoculation plants and with greater foliar area were obtained. Also, precocity of fruit production was observed. The harvest started 49 days earlier and fresh weight was 177% higher than that of the control. Root colonization was low, showing significant differences between IN and IC, while a large number of spores was produced in the substrate. It was concluded that inoculation with native fungi decreased transplanting stress thus accelerating the maturation stage of plants and resulting in higher and better yield quality. En el sur de Chile, agricultores mapuches han cultivado durante décadas ecotipos locales de ají (Capsicum annuum L.)“Cacho de cabra” para elaborar “merkén”, producto con reconocidas ventajas en el mercado internacional. Esta hortaliza requiere etapa de almácigo, pudiendo beneficiarse nutricionalmente con la asociación simbiótica del tipo micorrizas,logrando una mejor adaptación al trasplante. Los hongos micorrícicos arbusculares son biótrofos obligados abundantes en agrosistemas con manejo conservacionista. El objetivo de este estudio fue comparar, en invernadero, el efecto de la inoculación de dos hongos, uno comercial, Glomus intraradices (IC), y otro nativo, Glomus claroideum (IN), con un testigo sin inoculación (-I) sobre la producción y calidad de ají “Cacho de cabra”. A los 45 días después de la siembra (DDS) se realizó el trasplante y a los 90 y 216 DAS se evaluaron parámetros de calidad del fruto, fúngicos y edáficos. La cosecha fue escalonada en cuatro etapa