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Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal spore density and root colonization in cochineal-infested Opuntia ficus-indica plants in northern Ethiopia

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Abstract

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and herbivore insects are essential elements of ecosystems. They can influence each other on their common host plant. AMF support the plant growth by protecting against herbivore insect stresses. Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) miller is a multipurpose species which is under serious threat by cochineal insect (Dactylopius coccus (C.). The AMF and cochineal insect interaction on O. ficus-indica plants were not studied. This paper analyzed AMF spore density and root colonization of O. ficus-indica population in cochineal-infested and uninfested cultivated areas. Soil depth, season, and altitude were main environmental factors for the result observations. Soil and root samples were collected from the rhizosphere of O. ficus-indica plants. AMF spore density and root colonization were higher in uninfested plants than cochineal infested. AMF genus significantly varied along altitude and soil depth. Root colonization was higher during the rainy season than dry season, while spore density was lower in the rainy season. In the cochineal infested populations, spore density did not significantly varied with seasons. Spore density and root colonization were significantly higher on the upper soil depth than lower depth. Rhizosphere soil properties varied with altitude and soil depth. Soil available phosphorus (AVP) was significantly higher in the cochineal-infested populations. AVP showed significant negative correlation with mycorrhizal colonization. AMF–cochineal interaction in O. ficus-indica populations needs to be experimentally tested to understand the facilitative role of AMF to increase the performance of O. ficus-indica plants and to defend against the infestation of cochineal.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Mekelle university departments of Land resource Management and Environmental Protection (LaRMEP) (Forestry and Soil labs), Geology (Soil lab), and Biology (Aquatic Ecology and Micro-biology labs), for their permission to do laboratory analysis in their respective laboratories. This work was supported by Ethiopia Ministry of Education and the Mekelle University Dryland Ecology and Resource Management PhD program. We also thank the anonymous reviewers for comments on an earlier version, which greatly improved the paper.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Land Resource Management and Environmental Protection, College of Dryland Agriculture and Natural Resource, Mekelle University, P. O. Box 231, Mekelle, Tigray, Ethiopia

    Teame Gebrehiwot Kebede & Emiru Birhane

  2. Department of Animal Production and Technology, College of Agriculture and Environmental Science, Adigrat University, Adigrat, Tigray, Ethiopia

    Teame Gebrehiwot Kebede

  3. Department of Dry Land Crop and Horticultural Science, College of Dryland Agriculture and Natural Resource, Mekelle University, P. O. Box 231, Mekelle, Tigray, Ethiopia

    Kiros-Meles Ayimut & Yemane G. Egziabher

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  1. Teame Gebrehiwot Kebede
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Kebede, T.G., Birhane, E., Ayimut, KM. et al. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal spore density and root colonization in cochineal-infested Opuntia ficus-indica plants in northern Ethiopia. Arthropod-Plant Interactions 17, 839–854 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11829-023-10005-w

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