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espanolLos hongos micorrizicos arbusculares (HMA) son importantes para el desarrollo y supervivencia de las plantas. Esto ha motivado el analisis del uso de algunas especies de HMA de uso comercial como biofertilizantes de cultivos a nivel nacional. En Tamaulipas, el conocimiento acerca de la diversidad de HMA es escaso. El objetivo del presente trabajo fue determinar la presencia e identidad taxonomica de hongos micorrizicos arbusculares asociados a la familia Euphorbiaceae (sensu lato) en el Area Natural Protegida Altas Cumbres. Las esporas fueron obtenidas a traves de propagulos extraidos de plantas trampa de diferentes especies, cultivadas en suelo y raices de la zona de estudio. El estatus micorrizico se determino mediante la tecnica de tincion de Phillips y Hayman y la identificacion de HMA, a traves de la extraccion de esporas por el metodo de tamizado humedo con centrifugacion con sacarosa, y su caracterizacion morfologica. Todas las raices mostraron estructuras tipicas de los HMA, evidenciando la presencia de esta asociacion en los 74 taxones de euforbiaceas. Se registro una riqueza de 9 especies de HMA ubicadas dentro de 6 generos, 4 familias y 3 ordenes, siendo Glomus (Familia Glomeraceae) el genero con mayor riqueza especifica. Se detecto la presencia de los generos Entrophospora, Funneliformis y Rhizophagus por primera vez en Tamaulipas. Los resultados denotan lo ampliamente distribuidos que se encuentran los HMA en las plantas de la familia Euphorbiaceae en el Area Natural Protegida Altas Cumbres y la necesidad e importancia de continuar con investigaciones sobre las micorrizas arbusculares. EnglishThe arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are important for the development and survival of plants. This has motivated the analysis of the use of some AMF species with commercial use as crop biofertilizers at the national level. In Tamaulipas, knowledge of AMF diversity is scarce. The objective of this work was to determine the presence and taxonomic identity of AMF associated with the Euphorbiaceae family (sensu lato) in the Altas Cumbres Protected Area. The spores were obtained through propagules extracted from trap plants of different species grown in the soil and roots of the area under study. The mycorrhizal status was determined by the Phillips and Hayman staining technique and the identification of AMF through the extraction of spores by the wet sieving method with sucrose centrifugation and their morphological characterization. All the roots showed typical AMF structures, evidencing the presence of this association in the 74 euphorbiaceae taxa. A rich-ness of 9 AMF species located within 6 genera, 4 families and 3 orders were recorded, with Glomus (Glomeraceae famiy) being the genus with the highest specific richness. The presence of the genera Entrophospora, Funneliformis and Rhizophagus was detected for the first time in Tamaulipas. The results denote how widely distributed AMF are found in plants of the Euphorbiaceae family in the Altas Cumbres Protected Area, highlighting the need to continue with investigations on arbuscular mycorrhizae.

In Mali, studies on arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) characterization and diversity are still few, despite the important roles played by these microorganisms in plant growth and in degraded soils restoration. Sorghum is one of the staple food grains in Mali and as such plays a key role in food security in Mali. This study aims to determine diversity of AMF strains associated to sorghum in Sikasso region soils in Mali. For this, soils were sampled using sorghum plants in different fields of this region, which served as substrates for trapping AMF. These soils have been studied separately. Results gotten revealed 21 AMF morphotypes left between 6 genera (Glomus, Scutellospora, Gigaspora, Acaulospora, Entrophospora, Sclerocystis) of three families (Glomeracea, Gigasporacea, Scutellosporacea). Four of these morphotypes have been identified. Key words: Diversity, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), Sikasso, Mali.

Camellia is a genus of evergreen shrubs or trees, such as C. japonica, C. sinensis, C. oleifera, etc. A group of beneficial soil microorganisms, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), inhabit the rhizosphere of these Camellia spp. A total of eight genera of Acaulospora, Entrophospora, Funneliformis, Gigaspora, Glomus, Pacispora, Scutellospora, and Sclerocystis were found to be associated with Camellia plants with Glomus and/or Acaulospora being most abundant. These mycorrhizal fungi can colonize the roots of Camellia spp. and thus form arbuscular mycorrhizal symbionts. AMF is an important partner of Camellia spp. in the field of physiological activities. Studies indicated that AMF inoculation has been shown to promote plant growth, improve nutrient acquisition and nutritional quality, and increase resistance to drought, salinity and heavy metal contamination in potted Camellia. This review thus provides a comprehensive overview of AMF species occurring in the rhizosphere of Camellia spp. and summarizes the variation in root AMF colonization rate as well as the environmental factors and soil nutrients affecting root colonization. The paper also reviews the effects of AMF on plant growth response, nutrient acquisition, food quality, and stress tolerance of Camellia spp.

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) show symbiotic associations with the roots of plants and facilitates nutrients uptake through the hyphae-plant root-soil interface. Many edaphic and anthropogenic activities greatly influence this mutualistic association. Among which soil parameters are of great importance. The major objective of this study is to assess the soil colonization of AM fungi in different textural and nutritional conditions in agricultural rice fields of different locations of Malda district, West Bengal, India. Fifty rhizospheric soil samples of rice fields were collected from Jadupur (25.080° N, 88.1255° S) and Mohadipur (24.8525° N, 88.1255° E) areas of Malda district, India and the mycorrhizal spores were isolated and quantified according to adhesion and floatation techniques and identified morphometrically through the INVAM database. Soil texture was determined by conventional pipette method and soil pH, conductivity, nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus, and organic carbon contents were quantified according to standard methods. It was observed that the soil samples had a wide diversity of genera of mycorrhizal spores such as Aculospora sp., Entrophospora sp., Gigaspora sp., Glomus sp., and Scutellospora sp. The texture of the sample sites are mostly sandy loamy to loamy and have variations in soil chemical properties. The clay and phosphorous contents are inversely proportional to mycorrhizal spore content whereas it was directly proportional to the organic carbon and nitrogen content in the soil. The AM fungal diversity was more in Jadupur soil while it was less in Mohadipur. The study concludes that low nutrient content soil had more spore numbers than high nutrient content, reflecting their role in mineral acquisition for better plant nutrient supply.

Rice is a staple food in Goa. It is cultivated in three different ecosystems, viz, lowland (khazan), midland (ker) and upland (morod). The present investigation was carried out for two consecutive years, i.e., 2015 and 2016 to study the diversity of arbuscular mycorrhiza (AM) and identify the dominant species in the three different rice ecosystems of Goa. The native dominant AM species identified from the study can be further employed for developing AM inocula. The study revealed 17 AM fungal species recorded from the three ecosystems and belonged to six genera, viz., Acaulospora (9), Rhizoglomus (1), Entrophospora (1), Claroideoglomus (2), Funneliformis (1) and Gigaspora (3). There was dominance of different genera in different ecosystems. The genus Acaulospora was abundant in lowlands, genus Gigaspora in midlands and the genus Claroideoglomus in upland fields. This study suggests the possibility of using inocula of the dominant AM species in the respective ecosystems for increased plant growth and yield.

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are among plant-symbiotic fungi with higher plant roots. The applicability of AMF poses a strategy to minimize the deleterious effect of abiotic stress to enhance plant tolerance. Phosphorus is an essential macronutrient for plants, can cause toxic effects at low levels. Our target was to determine the mitigation effect of local inoculum of AMF on growth and metabolic activity of Zea mays under phosphorus levels. Phosphorus deficiency disturbed physiological performance however, AMF mitigated negative effects by enhancing the dry weight significantly (P < 0.05), P content and alkaline phosphatase in calcareous soil amended with P concentrations (from 15 to 120 mg P kg-1 soil), compared with non-inoculated plant. The maximum H+-ATPase activity was 28.13 µmol Pi-1ngP-1min in leaves of Zea mays in AM- inoculated soil and amended with 60 mg P kg-1soil. AMF enhanced antioxidant enzyme activities, superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), ascorbate peroxidase (APX) and glutathione reductase (GR) together with their substrates glutathione (GSH) and ascorbic acid (AA), with concurrent reduction of lipid peroxidation and hydrogen peroxide content. Highest mycorrhizal colonization (88%) recorded in maize grown in 60 mg P kg-1 soil. Established data on morphological characters revealed AMF local isolates belong to four native spores related to genus Glomus, Acaulospora, Scutellospora and Entrophospora. Analysis of the genetic material confirmed that spores were related to Glomus mosseae and Acaulospora spinose. These findings demonstrate that root colonization by local AMP inoculum could ameliorate the phosphorus deficiency in calcareous soils collected from Southwestern coast of Egypt

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are beneficial microbes for plants, especially in the absorption of nutrients and water from the soil. Some factors that influence the effectiveness of this fungus are the suitability of the AMF species with their host plants and abiotic condition such as soil characteristics. Therefore, this study aims to determine the type of AMF that produced the best growth and nutrient uptake in oil palm seedlings planting in histosol soil. This study used a single factor treatment design consisting of 9 AMF treatments, namely control without AMF (T1), given Glomus sp. (T2), Gigaspora sp. (T3), Entrophospora sp. (T4), Acaulospora sp. (T5), a mixture of Glomus sp. and Gigaspora sp. (T6), a mixture of Glomus sp. and Entrophospora sp. (T7), a mixture of Gigaspora sp. and Entrophospora sp. (T8), and a mixture of Glomus sp., Gigaspora sp., Entrophospora sp., and Acaulospora sp. (T9). Each treatment was repeated five times. The experimental design used was a randomized block design. In the AMF treatment, 500 spores per seedling were given when the seedlings were transplanted from prenursery to the main nursery. The seedlings were kept in the prenursery for 3.5 months and in the main nursery for nine months. The results showed that the type of mycorrhizae that consistently produced better seedling growth and nutrients uptake compared to the control were Glomus sp. (T2) and a mixture of Gigaspora sp. and Entrophospora sp. (T8), which supported by data on plant height, number of leaves, shoot dry weight, and total nutrient uptake of N, P, K, Ca, Mg, and B.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the diversity and distribution of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi in the salt affected soils of Varanasi district. Saccharum munja Roxb. was predominate among all the vegetation and shown strong AM fungal colonisation. Soil characteristics revealed their neutral to alkali nature and habituated six genera and eight different species of AM fungi i.e. Acaulospora (1), Cetraspora (1), Entrophospora (1), Funneliformis (2- F. geosporum and F. mosseae), Glomus (1), Rhizolglomus (2- R. intraradices and R. fasciculatum) in the rhizosphere of native salt tolerant vegetation. Rhizolglomus fasciculatum was the most widely distributed species under strongly alkaline condition (52.96%) while Funneliformis mosseae was well distributed under slightly (22.99%) to moderately alkaline condition (35.78%). Soil alkalinity was observed to be detrimental for AMF but members of family Glomeraceae registered their presence more frequently (∼65%) with higher spore density showing str...

The data, presented here, come from samples collected during three research projects which aimed to assess the impact of land-use type on Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF) diversity and community composition in pastures of Terceira Island (Azores, Macaronesia, Portugal) and also in the native forest of two Azorean Islands (Terceira and São Miguel; Azores, Macaronesia, Portugal). Both projects contributed to improving the knowledge of AMF community structure at both local and regional scales. Little is known on the AMF communities from Azores islands and this study reports the first survey in two Azorean Islands (Terceira and São Miguel). A total of 18,733 glomeromycotan spores were classified at the species level from 244 field soil samples collected in three different habitat types – native forests (dominated by Juniperus brevifolia and Picconia azorica), semi-natural and intensively-managed pastures. Thirty-seven distinct spore morphotypes, representing ten glomeromycotan families, were detected. Species of the family Acaulosporaceae dominated the samples, with 13 species (38% of the taxa), followed by Glomeraceae (6 spp.), Diversisporaceae (4 spp.), Archaeosporaceae (3 spp.), Claroideoglomeraceae (3 spp.), Gigasporaceae (3 spp.), Ambisporaceae and Paraglomeraceae, both with the same number of AMF species (2 spp.), Sacculosporaceae (1 sp.) and Entrophospora (family insertae sedis). Members of the family Acaulosporaceae occurred almost exclusively in the native forests especially associated with the Picconia azorica rhizosphere, while members of Gigasporaceae family showed a high tendency to occupy the semi-natural pastures and the native forests of Picconia azorica. Members of Glomeraceae family were broadly distributed by all types of habitat which confirm the high ecological plasticity of this AMF family to occupy the more diverse habitats.

Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF) is a type of fungus that can form a symbiotic mutualism with most plants. Some AMF can only be symbiotic with a certain plant species. This research aims to determine and obtain the genus AMF from black cumin ( Nigella sativa L.) accessions from America, Turkey, Hong Kong, Slovenia, India, and Kuwait accessions which had been grown in West Java, Indonesia. Three samples from each accession, four replications each, were collected for examination. The results showed that six generas of AMF were found in the rhizosphere of black cumin: Glomus , Gigaspora , Acaulospora , Scutellospora , Dentiscutata , and Entrophospora . The genus Glomus was predominantly found in the Indian accession, i.e. 96.42 spores. Keywords : black cumin, diversity, fungi, exploration, AMF

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE Arbuscula mycorrhiza (AM) have a very large function in symbiosis with plant roots, it's very important to be studied further because AM utilization is an alternative solution to improve the yield of corn plant in poor land. Until now the productivity of corn plant, especially in Southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia is lower than it's genetic potential, one of the causes is the cultivation of many plant done in sub optimal land with low technology applications especially the use of organic and biological fertilizer very low. This study aimed to observe the presence of AM and evaluate the growth and productivity of corn plant that AM inoculated. MATERIALS AND METHODS The study consisted two series of experiments, namely (1) Existence arbuscula mycorrhiza in rhizosphere of dominant weed (bladygrass) in dry land in Kendari, Southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia, was observed descriptively, (2) Effect of arbuscula mycorrhiza to several variety of corn plant (Zea mays L.) in Marginal dry land. The experiment was arranged based Randomized Block Design (RBD) consisted of eight treatments corn variety. RESULTS The results showed that spore populations were found in rhizosphere of dominant weed was 792-901 spores 100 g-1 soil, 70-90% roots infection. Some genera found are Glomus, Gigasphora, Acaulospora, Entrophospora, Scutellospora. Symbiosis effect of arbuscula mycorrhiza with plant growth indicates that Phosphorus uptake was highest in Batu Putih variety. However the highest in yield was show in Dana variety. Compared with the lowest production, the production difference was higher in Dana 47.70%. CONCLUSION Existence of arbuscula mycorrhiza in dominant weed rhizosphere in dry land is very high. The response of various varieties of maize plants to arbuscula mycorrhiza indicates that local varieties have a higher adaptability compared with introduction varieties.

Population and diversity of arbuscular mycorrhiza fungi (AMF) are varied in the soil and influenced by biotic factors such as host plant and abiotic factors such as soil fertility, soil moisture, pH, temperature, etc. This study aimed to determine the population, diversity, and the dominant type of AMF in the rhizosphere of Kasetsart cassava clones obtained from LampungTimur and Tulang Bawang Barat Regencies, Lampung Province, Indonesia. Population of AMF was counted directly from the rhizosphere of Kasetsart cassava clones and the diversity of AMF was assesed using a pot culture experiment. The results showed that the population and the diversity of AMF in the rhizosphere of Kasetsart clone obtained from Tulang Bawang Barat was higher than that from LampungTimur. The predominant type of AMF found in the pot culture using soil samples from Lampung Timur was spore with S2 code that belongs to the genus Gigaspora and S4 code that belongs to the genus Glomus. On the other hand, the type of AMF found in the rhizosphere of soil samples from Tulang Bawang Barat was dominated by spore with S9 code that belongs to the genus Entrophospora.

Rai IN, Suada IK, Proborini M, Wiraatmaja IW, Semenov M, Krasnov G. 2019. Indigenous endomycorrhizal fungi at salak (Salacca zalacca) plantations in Bali, Indonesia and their colonization of the roots. Biodiversitas 20: 2410-2416. Cultivation of snake fruit, commonly known as salak usually done organically on dry land with limited fertilizer in Bali. This research aimed to observe and to identify the indigenous endomycorrhizal fungi on salak roots. The exploration was carried out by collecting soil and root samples in salak producing areas in Bali, i.e. Bebandem and Selat of Karangasem Regency, Payangan of Gianyar, and Pupuan of Tabanan Regency. At each location, 9 random samples were taken, resulting in a total of 36 samples. Spore extraction was carried out using a wet filtration technique followed by centrifugation according to the method by Brunndrett et al. (2009). Morphological identification was carried out at the genus and species level using the Manual for Identification of Mycorrhiza Fungi for identifying Vesicular-Arbuscular-Mycorrhiza (VAM) fungi (Schenk and Perez, 1990), while molecular identification was carried out according to Tedersoo et al. (2014). The percentage of root infections was carried out using the coloring method with trypan blue. The results showed there were only two genera of endomycorrhizae (Glomus and Entrophospora) identified at the locations of study sites. The results also showed that samples from Bebandem and Selat regions had 3 Glomus species, Payangan had 3 Glomus species and 1 Entrophospora species, while in Pupuan had only 2 Glomus species. Identification results based on morphological characters showed that all species in the genus Glomus consisted of 3 species, namely Glomus sp-1, Glomus sp-2, and Glomus sp-3, while one species in the genus Entrophospora was Entrophospora sp. Genetic identification results based on the nucleotide arrangement showed that Glomus sp-1 concluded as Glomus cubence, Glomus sp-2 concluded as Glomus custos, and Glomus sp-3 concluded as Glomus indicum, while Entrophospora species concluded as Entrophospora_sp_SH197095.06FU. The average of root colonization/ infection was very high, reaching 93.33% in Bebandem and Selat, 95.00% in Pupuan, and 100% in Payangan. The very high root infection rates indicated that the indigenous endomycorrhiza found in these areas was very adaptive in salak plantation, so there is an opportunity to be developed as biofertilizers.

The aim of this work is to study the effect of a composite endomycorrhizal inoculum on the growth of argan tree plants under nursery conditions. Analysis of the obtained results after ten months of inoculation showed a significant effect on the growth of the inoculated plants as compared to the controls. Indeed, the mean values of arial fresh weight (27.54 g) and root (23.64 g). The length (59.87 cm), the collar diameter (3.93 cm) and the number of branches (7.37) of the inoculated plants are superior to those observed in the control plants, 13.36 g, 13.43 g, 35.83 cm, 2.83 cm and 4.66 cm, respectively. In addition, frequency (100%), intensity (63.66%) and arbuscule contents (51.79%) and vesicles (25.52%) are very important. The roots of the control plants are not mycorrhizal. The mean number of spores formed in the rhizosphere of the inoculated plants is 246 spores per 100 g of soil. These spores are those of 29 endomycorrhizal species belonging to six different genera: Acaulospora, Scutllospora, Pacispora, Glomus, Entrophospora and Gigaspora. Representatives of the Glomus genus are the most dominant.

Arbuscular Mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) is ubiquitous soil borne fungi which provide an intimate link between soil and nutrient absorbing organs of plants. AMF fungi optimize the uptake of phosphorus in plant which results in increase in yield. Production of AMF inoculum and the storage in a viable condition for a longer period of time is still a serious constraint. This study describes the survival capability and infectivity of AMF spores under different storage conditions. The vermiculite based AMF inoculum contained spores of AMF namely Glomus sp., Gigaspora sp., Scutellospora sp., Entrophospora sp., and Acaulospora sp., identified from the rhizosphere soil collected from the maize crop cultivated at Mellur block of Madurai District in Tamil Nadu, India and the mixed AMF colonized host root bits as propagules. The AMF inoculum spore count was 5-6 / 100g inoculum and the infectivity was 100% in the roots of maize plant at the time of packing of the inoculum for storage. During storage, at the end of 180 days the AMF spore count was reduced to 2-5 / 100g inoculum and the infectivity was reduced to 90-95%. But the AMF inoculum stored with 10% moisture content at 20oC - 30oC and under the light intensity of 1500 lux maintained the same initial spore count of 5-6 / 100g inoculum and infectivity of 99% for the storage period of 150 days (5 months). The results of the present study suggest that AMF propagules, spores and hyphae colonized root bits in the form of vermiculite based culture maintained with 10% moisture content at temperature range of 20oC - 30oC and under light condition of 1500 lux for 5 months can be expected to be viable for infectivity in crop plants.

Almost 30 different arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) species, distributed in different genera such as Glomus, Acaulospora, Scutellospora, Entrophospora, Ambispora, Kuklospora, Gigaspora, and Archeospora , have been identified in the root zone of Araucaria angustifolia, known as Brazil Pine. During our AMF survey in this ecosystem, our attention was called to the presence of many superficially growing Araucaria roots. Our hypothesis was that these roots were colonized with AMF because of the presence of AMF spores in organic material aboveground. Samples of these superficial roots and the organic substrate they were growing on were evaluated for their mycorrhizal status. DNA was extracted from the AMF-colonized superficial roots and submitted to polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification using the NS31-AM1 primer pair, followed by cloning and sequencing. We found that the root colonization percentages were between 31% and 52%, and the number of AMF spores in the substrate ranged from 27 to 164 spores per 50 g dry substrate. The phylogenetic analyses and tree construction using maximum parsimony (MP) and neighbor-joining (NJ) methods identified 13 different species of the phylum Glomeromycota belonging to the genera Glomus, Funneliformis, Rhizophagus, Gigaspora, Acaulospora, and Archaeospora, and five isolates were identified only at the genus level. To our knowledge, this is the first report on Araucaria angustifolia with roots growing aboveground, producing runner roots that develop on dead tree trunks and organic material. The higher colonization of the aboveground roots than those commonly found in belowground Araucaria roots suggests that they may present active metabolic uptake of nutrients.

Impoundment of the Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR) has dramatically influenced the riparian environment and shaped a new drawdown zone, which has experienced long-term winter conditions and short periods of summer flooding. The community structure and diversity of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi (AMF) were investigated in three areas with different fertilization histories [Area A (5 years of fertilization), Area B (3 years of fertilization) and Area C (no fertilization)] in the drawdown zone of the TGR. Altogether, 50 AMF species were identified; the genera Acaulospora, Funneliformis and Glomus were predominant. The AM fungal community differed among areas A, B and C. A higher isolation frequency and relative abundance of Acaulospora, Ambispora, Entrophospora and Paraglomus were observed in areas A and B; however, Claroideoglomus, Diversispora, Sclerocystis and Septoglomus were more abundant in Area C. The highest spore density occurred in Area C, and was slightly lower in Area A and lowest in Area B. Conversely, species richness and diversity indices (Shannon–Wiener and evenness indices) were the highest in Area A, followed by areas C and B. Based on nonmetric multidimensional scaling analyses, the distribution of AMF was influenced by plant host, fertilization practice and environmental factors. Among them, the soil physicochemical properties were the main drivers affecting AMF, in which three edaphic attributes (carbon/nitrogen ratio, available phosphorus and potassium content) were significantly correlated (P

Objectif: La presente etude vise a evaluer la diversite et la prevalence des champignons mycorhiziens arbusculaires (CMA) sous differents systemes rizicoles dans les differentes zones agroecologiques du Togo. Methodologie et resultats: Les substrats, constitues d’echantillons de sol preleves dans les systemes de riziculture des differentes zones agroecologiques, ont servi a pieger en pots les spores de CMA sur le riz, Oriza sativa L. (Poales), variete IR841 en utilisant le sorgho, Sorghum sudanense (Piper) Stapf comme plante piege de reference. La culture a ete maintenue pendant une periode de 12 mois en serre apres laquelle les densites et la diversite des spores ont ete evaluees. Les resultats ont montre une grande diversite des spores identifiees selon les systemes de culture. Un total de 25 especes appartenant principalement a sept genres (Acaulospora , Claroideoglomus , Entrophospora , Funneliformis , Gigaspora , Glomus et Rhizoglomus ), ont ete identifies en utilisant les deux plantes pieges. Le niveau de sporulation a ete plus eleve sur le sorgho que sur le riz. Les genres les plus frequemment sporulees sont Rhizoglomus , Glomus et de Acaulospora , Claroideoglomus alors que le genre Gigaspora a ete le moins frequent. La densite des spores est plus elevee sur du sorgho que sur le riz. Les zones agroecologiques n’ont eu aucun effet sur la diversite et la densite des spores. Ces dernieres ont ete cependant influencees par les systemes de culture de riz, avec la plus grande diversite et les plus fortes sporulations obtenues dans le systeme de riziculture de bas-fonds et les plus faibles dans le systeme culture de riz inonde. Conclusion et application des resultats: La presente etude a identifie une grande diversite de champignons MA associes au riz dans les differents systemes rizicoles au Togo, et dont certaines souches, connues pour leur utilisation en agriculture, pourront etre utilisees comme biofertilisants pour une production durable du riz au Togo. Mots cles: Ecologie rizicole, taux de mycorhization, spores, plantes pieges, Togo English Title: Prevalence and diversity of spores of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in rice cultivation under different rice cropping systems in five agro-ecological zones in Togo English Abstract Objective: The present study aims to evaluate the diversity and prevalence of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) under different rice cropping systems in the different agroecological zones of Togo. Methodology and results: The substrates, consisting of soil samples taken from the rice cropping systems of the different agroecological zones, were used to trap the spores of AMF on rice, Oriza sativa L. (Poales) variety IR841, using sorghum, Sorghum sudanense (Piper) Stapf as a reference trap plant. The culture was maintained for a 12-month period in greenhouse after which spore densities and diversity were assessed. The results showed a great diversity of spores identified according to the culture systems. A total of 25 species belonging to seven genera ( Acaulospora , Claroideoglomus , Entrophospora , Funneliformis , Gigaspora , Glomus and Rhizoglomus ), were identified using both trap plants. The level of sporulation was higher on sorghum than on rice. The most frequently sporulated genera are Rhizoglomus , Glomus , Acaulospora and Claroideoglomus , while the genus Gigaspora was the least common. Spore density was higher on sorghum than on rice. Agroecological zones had no effect on spore diversity and density. Spore diversity and density, however, have been influenced by rice cropping systems, with the greatest diversity and sporulation obtained in the lowland rice cropping system and the lowest in the flooded rice cropping system. Conclusion and application of the findings: The present study has identified a large diversity of AMF associated with rice in the various rice systems in Togo, some of which, known for their use in agriculture, could be used as biofertilizers for sustainable production of rice in Togo. Keywords: Rice ecology, mycorrhization rates, spores, trap plants, Togo

The fungal species responsible for the formation of vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizae (VAM) have been placed in four of the genera in the Endogonaceae, an ancient group which has Devonian fossil representatives. Nine genera are recognized in the Endogonaceae: Acaulospora, Endogone, Gigaspora, Glaziella, Glomus, Modicella, Sclerocystis, Complexipes, and Entrophospora. Chlamydospores are formed in hypogeous or epigeous sporocarps, in sporocarps on twigs or leaves in the litter layer, singly in the soil, or in the cortex of roots. As in Gigaspora, the "azygospores" are formed singly and ectocarpically in the soil. Chlamydospores are formed similar to those produced by Glomus, but are invariably formed in tight sporocarps with the spores arranged in a single layer around a central plexus of glebal hyphae. The mode of formation and development of the zygospores parallels that in other members of the Mucorales. Both species in modicella genus produce sporangiospores in thin-walled terminal sporangia formed in sporocarps.

Background Soil and water conservation measures (SWC) have a great practical significance to the restoration of arbuscular mycorrhiza (AMF). The objective of this study was to quantify the effect of decades long community-based soil and water conservation practices on arbuscular mycorrhiza fungi spore density, woody plant root colonization, and soil nutrients. Methods The SWC measures considered were stone terraces, exclosures + stone terraces, exclosures alone, and adjacent non-conserved open communal grazing lands. Soil and root samples were collected from the rhizosphere of matured woody plant species using systematic sampling from 10 m × 10 m plot based on slope positions. Spores were isolated using wet sieving and decanting method, while AMF fungal root colonization was done using the gridline intersection method. Results The study revealed that five major genera of AMF, including Glomus, Acaulospora, Gigaspora, Scutellospora, and Entrophospora were identified. Glomus was found to be the most abundant genera, which accounted for (52%) of the total spore density, followed by Acaulospora (18%). Besides, exclosures had the highest total spore density (60%) being followed by stone terraces (23%), whereas the lowest (17%) spore density was recorded in the open communal grazing lands. Total root colonization among the treatments ranged from 48.6% in the open communal grazing lands to 68.7% in the exclosure with terraces. Hyphal colonization was higher than arbuscular and vesicular colonization. The total colonization was in the order of exclosure with terraces > exclosure alone > terraces > non-conserved communal grazing lands. Conclusions Rehabilitating the communal grazing lands with terraces and exclosure is an important approach for restoring AMF and regenerating the degraded lands.

The objective of this work was to study the mycorrh izal status of Eryngium maritimum in the mobile dunes of Mehdia coastal area depending on the depth level reached by the roots. The obtained results showed that all the roots were mycorrhizal, different fungal structures were observed (arbuscules, vesicles, hyphae, spores and endophyti c). However, the identified mycorrhizal parameters varied from the surface to the depth rea ched by the roots. The mycorrhizal frequency reached 88% by the depth. The highest mycorrhizal i ntensity (26.4%) was recorded at a depth of 53.05 to 73.05 cm. The highest arbuscular contents (22.72%) and vesicular content (11.80%) were recorded respectively at depths of 53.05 to 73.05 c m and 33.05 to 53.05 cm. The spores density in the rhizosphere of E. maritimum varied between 10 t o 20 spores / 100 g of soil. Similarly, 19 spore’s morphotypes were isolated from five different gener a: Gigaspora, Acaulospora, Entrophospora, Scutellospora and Glomus. Among these morphotypes, ten species of endomycorrh izal fungi were determined: Glomus badium, Glomus aggregatum, Glomus multiforum, Gigaspora sp. , Glomus invermaium , Glomus geosporum, Glomus glomerulatum, Glomus albidum, Glomus enticatum , Scutellospora verrucosa, Scutellospora calospora, Scutellospora heterogama, Acaulospora co laussica, Entrophospora infrequens. Mycorrhization of E.maritimum roots in depth, with development of exchange structures (arbuscular) probably facilitated the installation of this species, which grows well in the mobile

The identification and the evaluation of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in the level of the root mycorhization were performed respectively from spores isolated from soil samplings and roots preleaved from the argan tree rhizosphere of seven sites in the region of Essaouira, Agadir, Taroudant and Tiznit (southwest Morocco). Analysis of the results revealed the presence in all samples of different characteristic of arbuscular endomycorrhizal structures. The frequency of mycorrhization was complete at Taroudant sites and Toufalazte (F = 100%) and between 50% and 33.33% in the Tamanar, Ait Melloul and Tiznit sites. The mycorrhizal intensity is high at the site of Toufalazte (57%) and low in Ait Melloul sites and Tiznit (between 1.83% and 1.93). Furthermore, the arbuscular contents are higher at the site of Toufalazte (24.16%) and lowest in the site of Tiznit (0.082%). The vesicular contents ranged from 0.21% (Ait Melloul) and 34.14% (Toufalazte). The density of spores in the rhizosphere of Argania spinosa also varied between 188 spores / 100 g soil (Toufalazte), and 28 and 44 spores / 100g of soil (Tiznit and Ait Melloul). The identification of isolated spores allowed to note the presence of 26 species of mycorrhizal fungi, divided into five genera (Glomus Scutellospora, Entrophospora, Pacispora, Gigaspora). Glomus etunicatum is the most abundant species, its frequency of occurrence reached 16.26%.

Cowpea is one of the most important food legume crops in Burkina Faso. It is able to associate with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and rhizobia. This dual symbiosis improves nitrogen and phosphorus nutrient uptake in cowpea. As the application of exotic inoculants frequently lacks positive responses in field experiments, this study set out to select well-adapted native symbiotic rhizobial and AMF strains. Soil samples were collected from six study sites in three different climatic zones of Burkina Faso to investigate their native symbiotic strains. Soil-extraction of native spores led to the identification of four AMF genera (Scutellospora, Gigaspora, Glomus and Entrophospora) by morpho-anatomical characterization. The two most effective cowpea fungal strains were selected after spore isolation from field-collected soils, multiplication on maize roots and inoculation on cowpea seedlings in a greenhouse experiment. Cowpea-nodulating rhizobial strains were trapped in the greenhouse by planting cowpea seeds in collected soil samples and the strains were characterized using molecular methods. This characterization led to the rhizobial isolates being classified in four clusters on the phylogenetic tree (using the Maximum-Likelihood Phylogenies method). All strains belonged to the Bradyrhizobium genus and most of them were included in the B. japonicum branch. Some groups were clearly distinct species already identified and may be new species. The two most effective strains for cowpea yield improvement in the field were selected after cowpea inoculation in a greenhouse experiment. The inoculation design in the field experiment consisted of four single inoculation treatments, either rhizobial or mycorrhizal, along with four dual inoculations, one treatment with chemical fertilizers, and one uninoculated control. The results showed that cowpea productivity was significatively improved by dual inoculation with native rhizobial and mycorrhizal strains, reaching the same level as the application of commonly used chemical fertilizers [Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium fertilizers (NPK)]. In addition, dual inoculation resulted in the highest iron content in cowpea leaves.

Farmer dependence on inorganic fertilizers drives the inclination of the fertilizer price which in turn influence the production cost. Therefore, it is necessary to find alternative way to reduce the consumption of inorganic fertilizers. This study aims to determine the most suitable arbuscular mycorrhiza fungi (AMF) for oil palm seedlings, determining the best dosage of phosphate fertilizer for the growth of oil palm seedlings, and determine whether the growth response of oil palm seedlings to AMF inoculation is influenced by the dosage of P fertilizer given. Research had been conducted in the greenhouse and Plantation Production Laboratory, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Lampung from June 2012 until August 2013. The treatment design used was a factorial design and the experimental design used was a completely randomized block design. The first factor was AMF treatment i.e. control, Entrophospora sp. mv 3 isolate, Glomus sp. mv 9 isolate, Glomus sp. mv 10 isolate, and Glomus sp. mv 15 isolate. The second factor was the dosage of P fertilizer i.e. 23 , 32 g, 15 , 66 g, and 11 , 66 g per plant. Each treatment was repeated 4 times. The results showed that Glomus sp. mv 15 isolate was the most suitable type of AMF for oil palm seedling s . All dosages of P fertilizer tested showed no growth effect on oil palm seedling s and the growth response of oil palm seedlings to inoculation of AMF was not affected by dosage of P fertilizer . Keywords: Entrophospora , Glomus , mycorrhiza, oil palm, phosphate

Status of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal (AM) colonization in seven tree species (Albizia saman, Acacia auriculiformis A. Cunn. ex Benth., Albizia lebbeck, Chickrassia tabularis A. Juss., Eucalyptus camaldulensis Dehnn., Gmelina arborea (Roxb) DC, Swietenia macrophylla King.) collected from the hilly areas of Chittagong University (CU) was investigated. Roots and rhizosphere soil samples were collected in different seasons (pre-monsoon, monsoon and post monsoon). Percentage of AM colonization in root and number of spores/100 gm dry soil were assessed. The result of the investigation reveals that the intensity and percentage of AM colonization varied in different forest tree species in different seasons. In this study, maximum AM colonization and spore population were found in pre-monsoon and minimum were in monsoon season. The intensity of colonization was maximum in C. tabularis (74.43%) in pre-monsoon, A. lebbeck (69.45%) in monsoon and S. macrophylla (67.8%) in post monsoon seasons and minimum in A. auriculiformis (53.75%) during pre-monsoon, A. saman (24.4%) in monsoon and A. saman (19.36%) in post monsoon. The number of spores found per 100 g dry soil ranged between 164-376 during pre-monsoon, 27-310 during monsoon and 194-299 in post monsoon season. Out of six recognized genera of AM fungi, Glomus, Sclerocystis, Entrophospora, Scutellospora, Acaulospora and other unidentified spores were observed. Key Words: Arbuscular Mycorrhizal fungi, colonization, rhizosphere, spore population, tree species

This part of the two-part paper of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) of the phylum Glomeromycota of agricultural soils of the Western Pomerania, north-western Poland, presents the distribution of 26 species of these fungi in both the sites considered in this study and cultivated soils of other regions of Poland and the world investigated previously. The fungi were isolated from both field-collected rhizosphere soil and root mixtures and trap cultures established from each field sample and seeded with three species of plant hosts. Among the fungal species characterized, 18 are of the genus Glomus, one each of the genera Archaeospora, Entrophospora and Paraglomus and three and two of the genera Acaulospora and Scutellospora, respectively.

Root samples and rhizosphere soil of nine acacia species (Acacia abyssinica, Faidherbia albida, A. nilotica, A. senegal, A. seyal, A. sieberiana, A. saligna, A. tortilis and A. robusta) were collected from Bishoftu, Zeway and Addis Ababa sites with different land use types to assess their Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungal (AMF) diversity, spore density and root colonization. The percentage of root length colonized by AMF was estimated. Spores, spore clusters and sporocarps extracted from soil samples were counted and morphologically identified to species or specific morphotype. Roots of all acacia species were colonized from low to moderate or relatively high levels by AMF with the occurrence of arbuscules, vesicles and hyphae. Arbuscules were however not detected in roots of A. senegal. The highest AM fungal colonization was found in A. seyal (67.3%) from open grazing field (OGF) at Zeway followed by A. nilotica (44%), whereas the lowest AMF colonization of 12% was recorded in A. saligna at Bishoftu. Rhizosphere soils harbored AMF fungal spores ranging from 3.7 spores g-1 soil in A. nilotica to 15.0 spores g-1 in A. seyal from open grazing field (OGF) at Zeway. A total of 41 AMF species in 14 genera and 7 families of the Glomeromycota were identified. Nine species belonged to Acaulospora, 6 to Funneliformis, 4 each to Gigaspora, Glomus, and Rhizophagus, 3 each to Claroideoglomus, and Scutellospora, 2 each to Racocetra and Diversispora, and 1 each to Entrophospora, Sclerocystis, Paraglomus and Pacispora. Moreover, 2 unidentified morphotypes each of Glomus, and Acaulospora and 1 of Archaeospora were isolated. Based on relative abundance and isolation frequency of spores, C. claroideum, C. etunicatum, C. luteum, F. geosporus and G. aggregatum were the dominant species in the study. The study showed that the acacia species were characterized by relatively high AMF colonization and very high AMF diversity. AMF spore density and AM root colonization in acacia roots were influenced by soil factors such as available P and soil texture. Key words: Acaulospora, AM colonization, Arbuscules, Funneliformis, Glomeromycota, Rhizosphere soils.

Seventeen mangrove species of eight families at seven riverine and fringe habitats in Goa West India were surveyed for Arbuscular Mycorrhizal (AM) fungal diversity. Sixteen species were found to be mycorrhizal and one species showed no AM fungal colonization. AM root colonization was recorded at all seven sites and ranged from 6%–77%. Maximum root colonization was recorded in Excoecaria agallocha (77%) and minimum colonization in Avicennia marina (6%). Paris-type colonization was predominant at all sites. Auxiliary cells were recorded in roots of Acanthus ilicifolius, Ceriops tagal and Sonneretia alba. AM fungal root colonization and spore density varied by plant species and site. Site average spore density ranged from 1.84 spores·g−1 to 0.54 spores·g−1 of soil. In total, 28 AM fungal species of five genera, viz. Glomus, Acaulospora, Scutellospora, Gigaspora and Entrophospora, were recovered. Glomus was the dominant genus, three species of which were sporocarpic forms. Maximum site species richness (SR) ranged from 16 to 5. Species richness was maximum in A. ilicifolius where seven species of three genera were recovered. Based on relative abundance (RA) and isolation frequency (IF), two common species, viz. G. intraradices and A. laevis, were recovered from all seven sites.

This study aims to determine the spatiotemporal dynamics of root colonization and spore density of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) in the rhizosphere of olive trees (Olea europaea) with different plantation ages and under different climatic areas in Algeria. Soil and root samples were seasonally collected from three olive plantations of different ages. Other samples were carried out in productive olive orchards cultivated under a climatic gradient (desertic, semi-arid, subhumid, and humid). The olive varieties analysed in this study were Blanquette, Rougette, Chemlel and the wild-olive. Spore density, mycorrhization intensity (M%), spore diversity and the most probable number (MPN) were determined. Both the intensity of mycorrhizal colonization and spore density increased with the increase of seasonal precipitation and decreased with the increase of air temperature regardless of the climatic region or olive variety. The variety Rougette had the highest mycorrhizal levels in all plantation ages and climates. Spore community was composed of the genera Rhizophagus, Funneliformis, Glomus, Septoglomus, Gigaspora, Scutellospora and Entrophospora. The genus Glomus, with four species, predominated in all climate regions. Spores of Gigaspora sp. and Scutellospora sp. were the most abundant in desertic plantations. Statistical models indicated a positive relationship between spore density and M% during spring and winter in young seedlings and old plantations. A significant positive relationship was found between MPN and spore density under different climates. For a mycotrophic species, the rhizosphere of olive trees proved to be poor in mycorrhiza in terms of mycorrhizal colonization and numbers of the infective AMF propagules.

Endophytic fungi were isolated from various tissues (root, stem, petiole, leaf, and fl ower stalk) of 3- and 4-year-old ginseng plants (Panax ginseng Meyer) cultivated in Korea. The isolated endophytic fungi were identified based on the sequence analysis of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS), 1-5.8-ITS 2. A morphological characterization was also conducted using microscopic observations. According to the identification, 127 fungal isolates were assigned to 27 taxa. The genera of Phoma, Alternaria and Colletotrichum were the most frequent isolates, followed by Fusarium, Entrophospora and Xylaria. Although 19 of the 27 taxa were identified at the species level, the remainder were classified at the genus level (6 isolates), phylum level (Ascomycota, 1 isolate), and unknown fungal species (1 isolate). Endophytic fungi of 13 and 19 species were isolated from 3- and 4-year-old ginseng plants, respectively, and Phoma radicina and Fusarium solani were the most frequently isolated species colonizing the tissues of the 3- and 4-year-old ginseng plants, respectively. The colonization frequency (CF%) was dependant on the age and tissue examined: the CFs of the roots and stems in the 3-year-old ginseng were higher than the CF of tissues in the 4-year-old plants. In contrast, higher CFs were observed in the leaves and petioles of 4-year-old plants, and endophytic fungi in the flower stalks were only detected in the 4-year-old plants. In conclusion, we detected diverse endophytic fungi in ginseng plants, which were distributed differently depending on the age and tissue examined.

No previous studies have been conducted on the diversity and population of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) in relation to organically grown chili (Capsicum frutescens L.) in Thailand. This study was carried out to investigate the diversity and status of AMF populations at four organically managed farms in Ubon Ratchathani and Sisaket provinces. The effects of each AMF species on the growth and nutrient uptake of chili grown in sterile, organically managed soil were determined. Fourteen AM fungal taxa belonging to the genera Acaulospora (4 spp.), Entrophospora (1 sp.), Glomus (7 spp.) and Scutellospora (2 spp.) were found. Among these, Glomus was the dominant genus found at all sites, followed by Acaulospora. The spore density and root colonization of AMF on chili did not vary significantly among the sites. The effects of ten selected AMF species on the growth of chili showed that Gl.clarum RA0305 increased the growth, flowering, and fruit production of chili, and also increased the P uptake significantly, compared to non-mycorrhizal plants. This fungus showed the highest potential as a promoter of growth, flowering and yield in organically managed chili production.

The world heritage of Huangshan is located in the east-central China. In order to obtain a better overview of biodiversity in Huangshan, we investigated the diversity of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in the soil of Huangshan. Forty-two rhizosphere soil samples were collected and 989 arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal spore samples were obtained using the wet-sieving method. Twenty-five species of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi were identified from the collections. The species were of the genera Acaulospora (6 species), Entrophospora (1 species), Glomus (16 species) and Scutellospora (2 species). Acaulospora and Glomus were dominant at the study site. The arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi spore density ranged from 45 to 3,250 per 100 g soil (average 839), and the species richness of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi ranged from 1 to 9 (average 4.2) per soil sample. Shannon–Wiener index and Simpson’s index were calculated to evaluate the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal diversity. The diversity of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal community in the subtropical forest of Huangshan may be the result of mutual selection between arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and the ecological environment.

In the present study diversity of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) was analyzed in seven important ethnomedicinal plants viz. Trillium govanianum Wall. ex D. Don, Bergenia ciliata (Haw.) Sternb., Leucas lanata Wall ex. Benth, Rumex obtusifolius L., Justicia adhatoda Nees, Perilla frutescens (L.) Britton and Acorus calamus L. The AMF diversity in rhizosphere and in the roots was investigated and reported for the first time in L. lanata, R. obtusifolius, T. govanianum and B. ciliata of district Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, India in the western Himalaya. Maximum mycorrhizal spore count was observed in the rhizosphere of P. frutescens. The most predominant genus was Glomus with fifteen species followed by Acaulospora, Gigaspora, Scutellospora, Entrophospora and Sclerocystis.

Acid sulfate soil (ASS) has an extremely low pH (3.0) and a high capacity to fix phosphate; symptoms of phosphate deficiency are commonly observed in many crop plants. Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi form mutualistic relationships with plant roots, and improve uptake of phosphate from soil. However, there is little information on the actual situation of AM fungi in ASS in Thailand. The purpose of the present study is to determine the indigenous AM fungal density and species in ASS in Thailand. AM fungal spores were retrieved and identified by molecular approaches from ASS field at the central plain of Thailand. This study showed that AM fungal spore density in ASS was 0.232 spores per g dry soil. Among the plant species growing in the natural ASS, there was no AM fungal colonization in the roots of four plant species, i.e. Digitaria sp., Fimbristylis sp., Mimosa pudica L., and Sesbania sp.; however, AM colonization was found in Wedelia roots. Using phylogenetic analysis, four operational taxonomic units (OTUs), i.e., one Glomus, one Entrophospora, one Paraglomus and one unknown species were identified from the AM fungal spores. Five OTUs, i.e., two Glomus, one Acaulospora, one Entrophospora and one unknown Glomeromycota were indentified from Wedelia roots. To our knowledge, this is the first report of the actual situation of AM fungi in ASS in Thailand determined by using molecular approaches.

Isolation and identification of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) in cashew plants was carried out in Datah Village, Abang District of Karangasem Regency. This study was aimed to determine the diversity of mycorrhizal spores in the cashew rhizosphere and AMF infections in the roots of cashew plants. The result in microscopic observations found 5 genera of AMF spores such as Glomus, Racocetra, Entrophospora, Septoglomus, and Acaulospora and the population of the genus Glomus were found most dominant in the rhizosphere of cashew plants. The result of staining root with trypan blue obtained the internal structure of AMF in the form of vesicles, arbuscules, and hyphae found in root tissue of cashew plants. The result of AMF DNA amplification with primer NS31 and AML2 showed 560 bp bands in electrophoresis with 1% agarose gel determined AMF infection in root of cashew plants. Keywords: Cashew, Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi, microscopic, staining root, PCR

In this work we have determined the community composition of spore-forming arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in a maquis site on Pianosa island, a protected area within the Tuscan Islands UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, Italy. We have analysed rhizosphere soil of the dominant plant species Pistacia lentiscus, Smilax aspera, Rosmarinus officinalis and of the endemic plant Helichrysum litoreum. The AMF species recovered were: Scutellospora dipurpurescens, Glomus coronatum, Glomus mosseae, Glomus etunicatum, Glomus geosporum, Glomus viscosum, Entrophospora sp., Pacispora sp. and Glomus rubiforme. The identification of native S. dipurpurescens and G. coronatum was carried out on spores isolated from rhizosphere soil of Helichrysum litoreum, by combining morphological traits and 18S (SSU) and ITS rDNA sequences. Therefore AMF species of Pianosa rhizosphere soils represent an important repository for the conservation and maintenance in their natural habitat of such beneficial symbionts, key microorganisms of soil fertility.

The occurrence and inoculum density of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) associated with Blechnum orientale Linn. were studied in a subtropical pine forest, a coalmine, an abandoned coalmine and the roadside of Meghalaya, northeast India. The maximum colonization was recorded in the abandoned coalmine and lowest in the coalmine. Nevertheless, spore density was highest in the coalmine and lowest on the roadside. There were significant differences in root colonization and soil physicochemical characteristics (p

Mycorrhizae are presumably important contributors to plant growth in most ecosystems. Our objective in this study was to evaluate the population diversity of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi in Clarion (well drained) and Webster (poorly drained) soils of four Iowa soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] fields. These soils normally occur together on the landscape, with Clarion in the upland and Webster in lowland positions. Previous work consistently has shown higher AM fungal spore counts in Webster soils. Spore morphology was used for the characterization of fungal species. Identification of certain species was confirmed using polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based rDNA fingerprinting. Glomus claroideum, G. etunicatum, G. mosseae, G. viscosum, and Paraglomus occultum-like spores were prevalent in both Clarion and Webster soils. Trap cultures led to detection of several additional AM fungal species, including G. clarum, G. coronatum, G. fasciculatum, G. vesiforme, Acaulospora calossica, and Entrophospora infreguens. The richness of the Glomus species varied from eight species in Webster soil of a field with highest available P (203 mg kg -1 soil Bray P1), where spores of G. mosseae constituted 90% of the spore population, to 12 species in Clarion soil, with lowest available P (14 mg kg -1 soil Bray P1). The variability of AM fungal density and distribution was also high among samples taken only 2 m apart. Although diverse within the genus, this study showed the dominance of Glomus species in field soils used to produce two important commercial crops, corn (Zea mays L.) and soybean, in the midwestern United States.

Mining and metallurgy activities practiced in the Comarca Lagunera in Mexico have contaminated soil, air and water. The use of plants is one strategy for the remediation of soils contaminated with heavy metals. However, few studies on remediation with plants of arid and semiardid zones in association with mycorrhizae have been performed. The aim of this study was to evaluate the ability of pigweed (Amaranthus hybridus L.) to extract Pb and Cd by adding a mixture of arbuscular mycorrhizae (Entrophospora columbiana, Glomus intraradices, G. etunicatum, G. clarum) to the substrate contaminated with Pb or Cd. Two experiments, one for each metal, under the basis of an experimental design with randomized blocks with four replications were carried out. The first experiment considered three doses of mycorrhizae (0, 2.5 and 5.0 g·kg-1) added to the soil contaminated with 300 mg·kg-1 Pb. In the second experiment, we used the same quantities of mycorrhizae added to soil contaminated with 15 mg·kg-1 Cd. The concentration of Pb and Cd in root, leaf and stem at 65, 95 and 125 days of age of the plant were determined with an atomic absorption spectrophotometer. The results indicate that the addition of mycorrhizae significantly increased the concentration of Pb and Cd in root, stem and leaf. The concentrations of Pb and Cd were increased significantly as the age of the plant increases. ADDITIONAL

This paper investigates the distribution of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) spores and AMF colonization in a field study in southeastern Brazil. Response to AMF and rhizobial inoculation was studied in monocultures of Plathymenia reticulata and mixed plantations with both Tabebuia heptaphylla and Eucalyptus camaldulensis in a sandy soil during two consecutive years. P. reticulata height and diameter and mycorrhizal colonization and AMF diversity were measured in dry and rainy periods. The inoculated treatment of E. camaldulensis, T. heptaphylla and P. reticulata mixed plants showed higher height and diameter growth of P. reticulata used as well as increased root colonization and AMF spore numbers. Spore populations were found to belong to five genera: Acaulospora, Entrophospora, Glomus, Gigaspora and Scutellospora, with Glomus dominating. Agroforestry practices including use of leguminous tree P. reticulata effectively maintained AMF spore numbers in soils and high AMF colonization levels compared with monocultures, proving an efficient system for productivity and sustainability.

Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi associated with Prosopis cineraria (Khejri) were assessed for their qualitative and quantitative distribution from eight districts of Rajasthan. A total of three species of Acaulospora, one species of Entrophospora, two species of Gigaspora, twenty-one species of Glomus, seven species of Sclerocystis and three species of Scutellospora were recorded. A high diversity of AM fungi was observed and it varied at different study sites. Among these six genera, Glomus occurred most frequently. Glomus fasciculatum, Glomus aggregatum, and Glomus mosseae were found to be the most predominant AM fungi in infecting Prosopis cineraria. Acaulospora, G. fasciculatum, Sclerocystis was found in all the fields studied, while Scutellospora species were found only in few sites. A maximum of thirty-six AM fungal species were isolated and identified from Jodhpur, whereas only thirteen species were found from Jaisalmer. Spores of Glomus fasciculatum were found to be most abundant under Prosopis cineraria.

The arbuscular mycorrhizal status of fifteen mangroves and one mangrove associate was investigated from 27 sites of three inundation types namely, diurnal, usual springtide and summer springtide. Roots and rhizospheric soil samples were analysed for spore density, frequency of mycorrhizal colonization and some chemical characteristics of soil. Relative abundance, frequency and spore richness of AMF were assessed at each inundation type. All the plant species except Avicennia alba exhibited mycorrhizal colonization. The study demonstrated that mycorrhizal colonization and spore density were more influenced by host plant species than tidal inundation. Forty four AMF species belonging to six genera, namely Acaulospora, Entrophospora, Gigaspora, Glomus, Sclerocystis and Scutellospora, were recorded. Glomus mosseae exhibited highest frequency at all the inundation types; Glomus fistulosum, Sclerocystis coremioides and Glomus mosseae showed highest relative abundance at sites inundated by usual springtides, summer springtides and diurnal tides, respectively. Spore richness of AMF was of the order usual springtide > diurnal > summer springtide inundated sites. The mean spore richness was 3.27. Diurnally inundated sites had the lowest concentrations of salinity, available phosphorus, exchangeable potassium, sodium and magnesium. Statistical analyses indicated that mycorrhizal frequency and AMF spore richness were significantly negatively correlated to soil salinity. Spore richness was also significantly negatively correlated to available phosphorus. The soil parameters of the usual springtide inundated sites appeared to be favourable for the existence of maximum number of AMF. Glomus mosseae was the predominant species in terms of frequency in the soils of the Sundarbans.

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are associated with the root system of coffee (Coffea arabica L.) plants, but their distribution in smallholder agroforestry and monocultural coffee systems is not well known. This study investigates the spatial distribution of AMF spores in a field study in southwestern Ethiopia. Soil samples from different depths (0–50 cm) were collected under the tree canopies of Acacia abyssinica, Albizia gummifera, Ficus sur, Ficus vasta and randomly selected unshaded coffee plants at different sampling points (canopy base, radius, edge and outside canopy). Significantly higher AMF spore densities were recorded at canopy bases and at 0–30 cm soil depth. Spore populations were found to belong to five genera: Acaulospora, Entrophospora, Glomus, Gigaspora and Scutellospora, with Glomus and Acaulospora dominating. Sampling points, sites and depths, shade tree species and shade tree/coffee plant age affected AMF spore density. Agroforestry practices including the use of leguminous shade trees effectively maintained AMF numbers in soils even at depth compared with unshaded coffee plants (monocultures).

The diversity and community structure of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) in two sites (Pudu and Xiao Rivers) with different vegetation in the hot-dry valley of Jinsha River, southwest China, were investigated. Forty-three morphospecies of AMF were identified. Among them, 28 were in the genus Glomus , 7 in Acaulospora , 4 in Scutellospora , 2 in Entrophospora and 2 in Gigaspora . The most common and frequent genus was Glomus , and several species of Glomus and Gigaspora were the most common and frequent among the 43 species present in this hot-dry ecosystem. Although Sorenson's coefficient ( C s = 0.83) revealed considerable overlap in AM fungal species composition, AMF community structure varied considerably between the two sites. Non-random associations between AMF and host plants were commonly observed in this study and suggest some degree of host preference at the species level. AMF spore density (SD) was positively correlated with species richness (SR), and both were differed significantly between the undisturbed Pudu River site and the disturbed Xiao River site. We suggest that the hot-dry valley of Jinsha River appeared to harbor a high diversity of AMF with an uneven distribution, and that natural disturbance (mud-rock flow and landslides) is important in determining the diversity, density, and distribution of AMF.

Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungal diversity was investigated in non-grazed, restored and over-grazed (fenced) plots of a grassland in the Inner Mongolia steppe. Plant cover and variety differ between the plots, being highest in the non-grazed to lowest in the over-grazed plots. A total of 19 AM fungal taxa belonging to six genera were found based on spores isolated from field samples and trap cultures. One belonged to Acaulospora, one to Archaeospora, one to Entrophospora, one to Gigaspora, 12 to Glomus and three to Scutellospora. Glomus was the dominant genus in all plots, and Glomus geosporum was the dominant species, whilst G. albidum and G. etunicatum were dominant in the restored plot. Scutellospora was the second dominant genus in the non-grazed plot with Scutellospora calospora being the dominant species. The mean spore density and mean species richness of AM fungi were significantly decreased by long-term over-grazing. The Sorenson's similarity coefficients of AM fungal community composition ranged from 0.5 to 0.64 among the three types of plot management. The results suggest that the AM fungal diversity is greatly affected by long-term over-grazing and that fencing of degraded areas partly restores plant cover and AM fungal diversity in grassland ecosystems.