Screening of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi for their symbiotic efficiency with Tectona grandis

Abstract

A green house study was conducted under nursery conditions to study the efficacy of nine arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi on Tectona grandis. Stumps were raised in polythene bags containing soil inoculated with isolates of different AM fungi. Teak seedlings raised in the presence of AM fungi generally showed an increase in plant growth and plant nutritional status over those grown in the absence of the inoculation of soil with AM fungi. The extent of growth and nutritional status enhanced by AM fungi varied with the species of AM fungi inhabiting the roots of teak seedlings. Considering the various plant growth parameters and nutritional status of the plants, it was observed that Glomus leptotichum is the best AM symbiont for teak compared to the others used under this experiment.