Mycorrhization of Moringa oleifera improves growth and nutrient accumulation in leaves

Abstract

Moringa (Moringa oleifera Lam.) is a fast-growing tree originating from the Himalayan foothills that grows in tropical and subtropical countries. Known as the “tree of life,” moringa has several beneficial properties, for example, their leaves have nutritious proteins with essential amino acids, vitamins and nutrients like calcium, potassium and iron in high concentrations. These properties allow the powder of moringa leaves to be used as a functional food product and as a food nutritional supplement. Funneliformis mosseae (Glomus mosseae) is an Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF) with the ability to associate with several plant species developing a mutualistic symbiosis association between roots of the plant and fungi. In the present study, the benefits of mycorrhization of M. oleifera plants with F. mosseae on plant growth and leaf nutrient content under complete nutrient supply and in the presence of different nutrient deficiencies (N, P) were evaluated. Benefits on plant growth and leaf nutrient content were shown at early mycorrhization stages. In addition, we demonstrated the benefits of mycorrhizated moringa plants in relation to nutritional fertilization, since it allows a reduction in fertilizer doses by facilitating the assimilation of the nutrients available in the soil.

Keywords:

• Agroecology
• early mycorrhization
• Funneliformis mosseae
• moringa leaves
• Moringa oleifera
• mycorrhiza
• nutrient stress
• symbiosis

Acknowledgments

Thanks to Dra. Carmen Dorca-Fornell, Dra. Marta Albareda and Dr. Jose Manuel Palacios for their revision of the manuscript.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work by supported by the Economy Minister of Spain under Grant Torres Quevedo 2016 n° PTQ-16-08521.