Mycorrhizal Inoculation Effect on the Forage Cowpea Biomass Production in Burkina Faso

Abstract

In Burkina Faso, breeding occupies an important place in the country’s economy, but is based essentially on the exploitation of the natural resources (pasture) which remains limited in extent due to the extension of land cultivated by agricultural practices extensive. Food is one of the most important limiting factors in animal production, hence the need to develop mechanisms to improve the production of food resources. This study is a contribution to fodder production improvement. In this study, cowpea was grown in a greenhouse for 60 days and inoculated with two inocula of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. The growth parameters were measured at 30 and 60 days after sowing. Shoot, root and total biomass were evaluated 60 days after sowing. The results show Yac 2 mix inoculum improves height growth (95.5%), height relative growth rate (525%), collar diameter (138%), collar diameter relative growth rate (328.57%), shoot biomass (396.3%), root biomass by (205.66%), total biomass by (320%), total nitrogen of aerial parts (92.39%) and total phosphorus of aerial parts (143.48%) compared to control. Yac 2 mix appears the most effective of all inoculum used in this study.