Native Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungal Communities in Trap Cultures Are Shaped by Traditional Host Plants and Agricultural Soils.

Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi inoculants are increasingly recognized as effective biofertilizers in sustainable agriculture. Typically, as a first step for AM fungi inoculum production, a trap culture system using mycotrophic host plants is commonly used to isolate AM fungi. However, the influence of traditional host plants and agricultural field soil on the composition of AM fungal communities in trap cultures remains poorly understood. The greenhouse study was conducted to assess the sporulation capacity of AM fungi by applying a trap culture technique using traditional varieties endemic to the semi-arid areas of eastern Kenya as host plants, along with soils sourced from the same area. The traditional varieties used included Kinyaanya maize, Vaasya sorghum, and Katumbuka beans. Soil samples were collected from 34 agricultural fields. Trap culture pots were established and maintained in a greenhouse for 120 days. The experiment was set up in a completely randomized design. AM fungi spores were extracted using the wet-sieving and decanting method, and healthy spores were selected for morphological analysis. Across all three host plants and the control (original agricultural field soils), six AM fungal genera were identified: