Journal of Plant Pathology & Microbiology

Abstract

Diversity of Arbuscular Mycorrhizae Fungi from Orchard Ecosystem

Angaleswari Chandrasekeran and P.U.Mahalingam

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), a symbiotic microorganism survives in both soil and roots. 80% of the plant roots acts as the host for the AMF and they are known as the component of soil and functional links between soil and plant. Orchard ecosystem was selected for the study since they are having a diversified plant flora. Roots and rhizosphere soil samples were collected randomly from Rosa indica, Citrus lemon, Emblica efficinalisis, Punica granutum, Mangifera indica orchard located at Gandhigram Rural Institute-Deemed University, Gandhigram, Dindigul, Tamil Nadu, India. The samples were processed for the presence of AMF in both roots and soil. Wet sieving and decanting method was followed for the isolation of AMF from soil and trypan blue staining was carried out for roots. The mean percent colonization in roots and mean spore population was calculated for a period four months from December 2011 to March 2012. The monthly variation in AMF spore population and root colonization were recognized from the datas obtained. The abundance of AMF is from two families viz., Glomus (G.aggregatum, G.fasiculatum, G.mosseae and Acaulospora (Acaulospora sp)).