Abstract

Arundo donax L. (giant reed) has become one of the most promising species for energy production in several Subtropical and Mediterranean areas. This species is able to thrive across a wide range of soil types and is tolerant to many stressful conditions, enabling its cultivation on marginal lands. Since this species is not able to produce viable seeds, micropropagation has been suggested as an efficient method for large-scale plant production. Several studies have demonstrated that arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) can improve the acclimatization of micropropagated plantlets, enhancing their growth and survival. Two experiments were conducted to evaluate the effect of AMF during the acclimatization period of A. donax plantlets and its posterior establishment to the field and first year harvest. Plantlets were inoculated with commercial inoculum (AEGIS SYM®) that contained Rhizophagus intraradices and Funneliformis mosseae. Inoculated plants showed higher biomass accumulation than non-inoculated plants not only after acclimatization process but also after 11 months of growth in open field. These differences were higher when plants were grown on a less nutritive substrate. The results showed the potential benefits of applying AMF inoculum to giant reed in early stages of growth, especially under stress conditions, and the importance of the quality of the plantlet for crop production. The standardized use of AMF inoculum can be very useful for the large-scale production of this energy crop not only to improve field establishment but also to improve first year harvest.