Effects of Winter Crops on the Density of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi and the Growth of the Succeeding Kidney Beans.

Abstract

The effects of winter crops on the density of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and the growth of succeeding kidney beans were examined. When barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) or peas (Pisum sativum L.) were grown in winter, the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi infection rate and the growth of succeeding kidney beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) were greater in comparison with bare ground. No difference was found in the arbuscular mycorrhizal infection rate of kidney beans between the inoculum preserved by barley and the new one inoculated at the sowing of kidney beans. No difference was found in the growth of kidney bean when arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi were inoculated before barley or broad beans (Vicia faba L.) had grown or when arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi were inoculated at the sowing of kidney beans. The winter weeds preserved a number of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi spores. But the growth of kidney beans that had been grown after winter weeds was inferior to that of the kidney beans inoculated with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi at sowing. In conclusion, when barley or broad beans were grown in winter, those inoculated with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi were preserved, and the need for an inoculation of kidney beans with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in the following year was not needed. However, the effect of winter weeds on preserving the density of arbuscular myccorrhizal fungi was lower than the effect of winter crops was.