Record ID No. |
775 |
Author(s) |
Charles,P., Raj,A.D.S., Kiruba,S , 2006 |
Affiliation |
Scott Christian College, Nagercoil, Tamil Nadu - 629 003, India. |
Title |
Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in the reclamation and restoration of soil fertility |
Source. Vol.(no):Page |
Mycorrhiza-News, 18(2), 13-14p. |
Categories |
Arbuscular Mycorrhiza |
Subjects |
Soil plant relations |
Sub-subjects |
Manuring |
Host |
Cymbopogon flexuosus, Jatropha glandulifera and Calotropis procera |
Organism |
Acaulospora scrobiculate, Glomus aggregatum, G. mosseae, G. geosporum, Gigaspora margarita, Sclerocystis sp. and Scutellospora pellucida |
Country |
India, South Asia |
Abstracts |
This study was conducted to investigate the role of vesicular arbuscular mycorrhizal (VAM) fungi in the adaptation of xerophytic vegetation in a wasteland in the Chunkankadai Hills Kanyakumari district, Tamil Nadu, India, which could help in the reclamation of the wasteland by soil fertility restoration. Vegetation in the wasteland under study was dominated by Cymbopogon flexuosus, Jatropha glandulifera and Calotropis procera. The VAM fungi association and spore content of the rhizosphere soil of the pioneer plants and two tuber-yielding plants (Dioscorea alata and Manihot esculenta) were examined. VAM fungi association was observed in all the plants examined. The highest amount of VAM fungi colonization was found in the roots of M. esculenta (80%), and the lowest in Calotropis procera (47%). The largest population of VAM fungal spores was observed in the rhizosphere soil of Cymbopogon flexuosus (450 spores/100 g soil), while the lowest was in D. alata (144 spores/100 g soil). The VAM fungi observed in the study include: Acaulospora scrobiculate, Glomus aggregatum, Glomus mosseae, Glomus geosporum, Gigaspora margarita, Sclerocystis sp. and Scutellospora pellucida. The most important beneficial effect of the mycorrhizal association is its role in the increased uptake of certain nutrients by plants, especially phosphorus. The results of this study confirmed the possible role of VAM fungi in the restoration of soil fertility of unexploited marginal soil. |