Peanut grains production responds positively when associated to arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), but it is necessary to determine its dependence on phosphorus (P) supply for in different species in plants. The aim of this study was to determine the mycorrhizal dependency of Arachis hypogea L. to different P levels and to evaluate the development of host and endophyte after colonization. A greenhouse experiment was carried out in completely randomized design, with two mycorrhizal fungi species (Gigaspora rosea and Glomus clarum) and a control without the fungus, and also with different P levels applied to the soil (0, 75, 150 and 250 mg kg-1 of P). After 50 days of groundnuts germination, there were evaluated dry weight (DW), root colonization, number of spores in the soil, mycorrhizal dependency and available P. The peanut plants showed mycorrhizal dependency when inoculated with G. rosea in low supply of P and for G. clarum only in the absence of the nutrient. The inoculation with G. rosea produced higher DW with 75 mg kg-1 of P (7.2 g per plant), whereas there was an increase in the accumulation of P in shoots up to the highest dose (250 mg kg-1) of P. Although G. clarum provided higher number of spores and root colonization ratio, it had the lowest plant growth and also lower P use efficiency by shoots.
arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi; Arachis hypogea; phosphorus fertilization
