Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi as a Sustainable Biofertilizer for Enhancing Sesame Production in Semi-Arid Agroecosystems

Abstract

Sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) is an economically important oilseed crop widely cultivated in semi-arid regions; however, its productivity is frequently constrained by poor soil fertility and low nutrient availability. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are known to enhance nutrient uptake, plant growth, and stress tolerance through beneficial symbiotic interactions with plant roots. Nevertheless, limited information exists regarding the influence of AMF inoculation on sesame cultivated under the semi-arid conditions of Northern Nigeria. Therefore, this study evaluated the effects of AMF inoculation on the growth and yield performance of sesame. Soil samples were collected from three sesame farms located in Yusufari and Machina Local Government Areas of Yobe State, Nigeria. AMF inoculum obtained from the Microbiology Laboratory of Yobe State University, Damaturu, was applied to treatment soils, while non-inoculated soils served as controls. Vegetative growth parameters and yield components were assessed, and the data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and multivariate cluster analysis. The results demonstrated significant improvements (P < 0.05) in vegetative growth parameters of AMF-treated plants compared with the control, including petiole leaf length (8.14 ± 0.15 to 8.82 ± 0.13 cm), base leaf length (8.10 ± 0.12 to 8.50 ± 0.07 cm), petiole length of top leaf (0.98 ± 0.05 to 1.08 ± 0.08 cm), basal leaf width (1.88 ± 0.08 to 2.08 ± 0.08 cm), middle leaf length (7.70 ± 0.19 to 8.22 ± 0.11 cm), and middle leaf width (1.98 ± 0.05 to 2.16 ± 0.06 cm). Similarly, significant increases were observed in yield-related traits, including number of capsules per plant (41.20 ± 1.48 to 46.00 ± 2.00), capsule length (2.22 ± 0.05 to 2.36 ± 0.11 cm), capsule thickness (1.96 ± 0.05 to 2.12 ± 0.08 cm), capsule width (1.16 ± 0.05 to 1.46 ± 0.05 cm), and number of seeds per capsule (72.20 ± 3.70 to 87.80 ± 4.21). These findings indicate that AMF inoculation significantly enhances sesame growth and yield under semi-arid soil conditions and may represent a sustainable strategy for improving sesame productivity in Northern Nigeria.