Purpureocillium lilacinum and Metarhizium marquandii as plant growth-promoting fungi

Thirty strains were recovered and characterized as (25), (4) and (1). From the trial for P solubilization and IAA production, seven strains were selected and inoculated in maize, bean and soybean plants. These strains were able to modify in a different way the evaluated parameters involving plant growth in each crop, and some strains distinctly increased the availability of P and N, for the last, an uncommon occurrence involving these fungi. Moreover, the expected changes identified at the in vitro analysis were not necessarily found . In addition, this study is the first to evaluate the effect of the isolated inoculation of these fungi on the growth promotion of maize, bean and soybean plants.