Record ID No. |
2840 |
Author(s) |
Schalamuk S., Cabello M N. , 2010 |
Affiliation |
CONICET - Centro de Investigaciones de Fitopatologia (CIDEFI) y Cerealicultura, Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias y Forestales, Instituto de Botanica 'Spegazzini', Universidad Nacional de La Plata, 60 y 119, CC 31, 1900 La Plata, Argentina. sschala@yahoo.com. |
Title |
Effect of tillage systems on the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi propagule bank in soils |
Source. Vol.(no):Page |
Management of fungal plant pathogens. 162-170p. |
Categories |
Arbuscular Mycorrhiza |
Subjects |
Soil plant relations |
Sub-subjects |
Cropping effect |
Organism |
Glomeromycota |
Country |
Argentina, South America |
Abstracts |
In this chapter we discuss the effects of tillage and no-tillage systems on the characteristics of the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) propagule bank in soils. These fungi, which belong to the phylum Glomeromycota, are of great interest in agriculture. AMF are often assumed to be solely beneficial; however, in certain environmental conditions, growth depressions related to AMF have been observed. In soils under no-tillage, an intact hyphal network is present, whereas under conventional tillage, this network can be damaged and AMF spores may remain as propagule sources. Some direct effects of tillage on AMF propagules are: (i) disruption of the hyphal network; (ii) dilution of the propagule-rich topsoil; and (iii) accelerated root decomposition. Spore counts in soils should be considered as useful indicators for AMF activity in situ; however, the presence of spores does not always imply recent activity of AMF and mechanical disturbance may change their spatial distribution in the soil profile. Therefore, the information about spore numbers in agricultural systems needs to be analysed cautiously. The different environmental conditions and direct effects related with tillage and no-tillage on AMF communities generate shifts not only in the composition of the AMF soil propagule bank, but also in its diversity. If the differential use of the various types of propagules by the Glomeromycota families, as many authors suggest, is confirmed, the lack of disruption of the hyphal network in no-tillage can help to explain the differences in Glomeromycota diversity that are found in field experiments. |