In order to be used in a program of inoculation, efficient arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) must be able to cope with the indigeneous fungal population. An experiment was conducted under greenhouse conditions at the Embrapa Cassava and Fruit Crops in Cruz das Almas (BA), Brazil, with the objective to evaluate the competitive capability of selected fungi, using natural soil with Tainung no. 1 variety. A Yellow Oxisol with 3 mg dm-3 of available P was used. Three exotic and three native fungi were tested in the presence of five P levels (0, 20, 40, 80 and 140 mg dm-3). Plants were cultured for 50 days after inoculation/transplanting and shoot dry weigth, nutrient contents and total percent colonization were determined. All inoculated fungi were more effective than the indigenous fungi, especially G. clarum, G. margarita and isolate 29; native isolates were more effective in higher levels of P; effectiveness was related to P and K absorption. Therefore, the fungi initially selected in fumigated soil were equally effective in unfumigated soil, under competitive conditions.
Carica papaya; fumigation; inoculation; mycorrhiza; Gigaspora; Glomus; indigenous fungi