African Journal of Biotechnology Vol. 6 (13), pp. 1524-1528, 4 July 2007   

ISSN 1684–5315 © 2007 Academic Journals        

Full Length Research Paper

Molecular characterisation of a mycorrhizal inoculant that enhances Trifolium alexandrium resistance under water stress conditions

Adolphe Zézé^1*, Yao Casimir Brou¹, Abdelilah Medich² and Francis Marty³

¹Laboratoire d’Agronomie, Ecole Supérieure d’Agronmie, Institut National Polytechnique, Houphouet Boigny, BP 1313  Yamoussoukro, Côte d’Ivoire.

²Laboratoire de Phytobiologie cellulaire, BP S /15, Université CADI AYAAD, Maroc.

³Laboratoire de Phytobiologie cellulaire, Université de Bourgogne, BP 47870, F-21078 Dijon Cedex, France.

*Corresponding author. E-mail: zomure@yahoo.com. Tél: 00 225 07 33 12 67.

Accepted 9 November, 2006

The occurrence of drought is an economically important problem in Morocco. The use of mycorrhizal technology offers a possibility to overcome this problem. A mycorrhizal fungal inoculum “Aoufous Complex” isolated in Morocco was shown to enhance Trifolium alexandrium resistance in water deficit situation. The efficiency of this inoculum was confirmed in this study. In order to identify this inoculum, specific primers were used to amplify the 18S subunit. The AluI RFLP typing of the PCR products revealed a single pattern showing no diversity. Phylogenetic analyses of seven sequences including other glomeromycetes allowed an unambiguous identification of the “Aoufous Complex” as Glomus mosseae strains. 

Keywords: Water stress, mycorrhiza, Aoufous Complex.