Influence of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi and Vermicompost on the Growth of Mexican Lemon (Citrus aurantifolia Swingle)

Abstract

Mexican lime (Citrus aurantifolia Swingle) production is limited by the intensive use of chemical fertilizers. In search of sustainable and ef ficient alternatives, in our study we evaluated the application of vermicompost and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) on the growth of lime seedlings. The evaluation compared chemical fertilization (C), vermicompost (V), Glomus clarum AMF (G), an AMF consortium (C),
a combination of vermicompost + AMF (GV and GVC), and a control (S). Plant height,
stem diameter, leaf number, leaf area, fresh and dry weight of leaves and roots, concentrations of N, P, K, Ca, Mg, Fe, Cu, and Zn in plant tissues, chlorophyll content, photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, spore count, and mycorrhizal colonization were evaluated af ter 270 days. The results revealed a significant synergistic ef fect (P ≤ 0.05) between vermicompost application and AMF inoculation. Vermicompost-treated plants showed a 50% increase in leaf number compared to the control and a 17% increase compared to chemical fertilization; fresh biomass also improved (57 over S and 17% over F). Application of Glomus clarum and the AMF consortium promoted higher N, P, and Cu contents in leaf tissue, as well as a higher photosynthetic rate. Combined vermicompost and AMF treatments significantly improved plant height (56 and 43% for GV compared to S and F, respectively), root fresh weight (59 and 33%), leaf and root dry weight (48-67, 7-31%, respectively), and increased leaf tissue levels of N (45, 29%), P (38, 34%), and Zn (143, 206%); as well as higher chlorophyll a (9, 6.5%) and total chlorophyll (12.5, 10%) contents compared to the control and chemical fertilization. Our findings suggest that the combination of vermicompost and AMF represents a promising strategy for optimizing sustainable Mexican lime production.