Survey on the presence of mycorrhizas on tomato roots in Lam Dong province and evaluation of its ability to symbiosis with crops

Using symbiotic mycorrhizal fungi (AM) to manage crop yield and soil health is essential to ensuring sustainable agricultural ecosystems. In this study, the AM’s presence and symbiotic structure in the soil and roots of tomato plants in Lam Dong area were investigated. Also, the ability of the most common AM genus in this area, Rhizophagus irregularis, with corn, rice, and tomato plants was evaluated. Tomato plants in the Lam Dong area had vesicular arbuscular mycorrhiza (VAM) symbiosis, with the symbiosis rate ranging from 53.1 to 81.3%. There were three types of symbiotic structures in VAM, wherein filamentous and vesicular structures predominated over dust. The genus Gigaspora dominated with 63.4%, followed by the genus Acaulospora (27.4%), the genus Glomus (9.7%), and spores from other unnamed genera (1.9%). When five spores of the genus Gigaspora were inoculated into the growing substrate at the stage of the formation of two true leaves, they showed good symbiosis with the roots of corn and tomato plants and had the best proliferation rate. On the other hand, Rhizophagus irregularis had weak synergy with all three plant types (corn, tomato, and rice).