Diversity of Arbuscular mycorrhizal Fungal Association with Quercus oblongata D. Don

Abstract

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) form a pervasive, obligate, mutualistic association with plant roots to help and play an important role in their life. In the current study, the species diversity of AMF in the rhizosphere of Quercus oblongata D. Don was studied. Rhizospheric soil samples and roots were collected from three different locations (Ropadi Gad, Sakaryar, and Saron). The occurrence of AMF, species composition and the diversity of AM fungi were observed with Q. oblongata plants. At all the 3 locations, selected plants were found to be colonized with AMF, however, the extent of root colonization significantly varied at different locations. Morphologically different 12 AMF species were isolated and identified from the rhizosphere of Q. oblongata. Of those 12 AMF species, six were found from the Ropadi Gad location, seven from the Sakaryar, and the remaining five from the Saron location. The highest root colonization was observed in Q. oblongata at Sakaryar (53.32%), followed by Ropadi Gad (46.67%), while the least was observed at Saron (40.40%). The number of spores ranged from 185±2.54 to 312±3.60, with an average of 250.33±3.32 per 100 g of air-dried soil. The number of spores exhibited a significant positive correlation with root colonization. The number of arbuscules and vesicles also followed the same trend viz. the maximum number of arbuscules and vesicles at Sakaryar, followed by Ropadi Gad, and with a minimum at Saron.