Abstract
Catharanthus roseus L. (Apocynaceae), a valuable medicinal plant with potential therapeutic value was inoculated with AM fungi Glomus fasciculatum under three different phosphate conditions. Catharanthus roseus plants raised in presence of the AM fungi showed increased growth in terms of (shoot length, root length, leaf number, fresh weight and dry weight). Total chlorophyll content and phosphate content of the shoot was found to be significantly higher in AM inoculated plants as compared to non AM Catharanthus plants. The activities of phosphatase enzymes were found to be increased in AM inoculated plants as compared to non AM plants. Root colonization percent was significantly higher in AM inoculated plants at zero and at all three phosphate levels after 60, 90 and 120 days of AM inoculation, but decreased at third phosphate level after 120 days of AM inoculation. The study suggests that Catharanthus roseus is dependent on the mycorrhizal fungi to a large extent for its growth and survival and also shows the potential of AM fungi Glomus fasciculatum in increasing growth and biomass of Catharanthus roseus L.
Highlights
IntroductionRoot colonization by arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi has been shown to increase the productivity of several crops, especially important in the context of sustainable agriculture and development (Smith and Read, 1997; Podeszfinski et al, 2002)
Plant roots interact with a wide variety of microorganisms in the soil, among these arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi form an important component of soil microflora
As shown in Tab. 1, significant increase was observed in various morphological parameters like shoot length, root length and leaf number in Glomus fasciculatum inoculated Catharanthus plants after 60, 90 and 120 days as compared to non
Summary
Root colonization by arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi has been shown to increase the productivity of several crops, especially important in the context of sustainable agriculture and development (Smith and Read, 1997; Podeszfinski et al, 2002). Beneficial effects of AM symbiosis on plant growth, nutrient uptake, and tolerance to environmental stressors have been extensively reported (Koide and Mosse, 2004; Audet and Charest, 2007). These fungi show a preferential colonization to hosts and the extent to which the host benefit depends of the fungal species involved in the symbiosis (Miller et al, 1987)
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