The influence of root colonization by arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungus
Funelliformis mosseae, on fruit quality, production and environmental sustainability were
evaluated in field-tomato plants grown exposed to P-limited soil 5 µg g
-1
soil (basal-soil) with
nitrate fertilization (50 µg g
-1
soil), after greenhouse germination and fungus colonization. After
60 days sowing (DAS), when the percentage of mycorrhizal root length (% RLC) raised at about
50%, the plants were transplanted in open field.
During the experiment, the mycorrhization has affected a lot of physiological aspects like
vegetative and reproductive growth, improving them and ended the fruiting with a major fruit
production that was 50% higher than not mycorrhizal (NM) plants. The ripening process of the
fruits was also followed by testing sugars content and ß-Amylase activity in fruits of NM and
mycorrhizal (M) plants fruits. At 140 DAS, in the harvesting fruits stage, fruits of M plants
showed significantly higher mineral nutrient sugars and organic nitrogen compounds as amino
acids and protein, compared to fruits from NM plants. In particular, GLU-GLN-ASP and ASN
raised about 35% more than fruits from NM plants, improving nutritional aspect and flavor of the
product. THR-ILEU-LEU-VAL and LYS, essential amino acids in man nutrition, increased
around 25% more than fruits from NM plants, too. In this contest, lycopene, total carotenoids,
ascorbic acid and glutathione (GS) and reduced form (GSH) were also tested in ripe fruits. The
overall results suggest that tomato roots colonization by mycorrhizal fungus Funelliformis
mosseae affects host plant nutritional status, modifying reproductive behavior, fruits production
and nutritional quality
