Spore production by the vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus Glomus monosporum as related to host species, root colonization and plant growth enhancement

Abstract

The vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus Glomus monosporum was inoculated on grapevine (Vitis vinifera), red clover (Trifolium pratense), meadow grass (Poa pratensis) and onion (Allium cepa) as hosts in two experiments carried out in different environments. Grapevine and clover showed the largest growth response and spore production. Mycorrhizal infection was lowest in meadow grass. Very poor correlations were observed, on an overall basis, between spore production and per cent root infection or infected root length. Spore production per unit infected root length for each host species was a comparatively stable parameter; it was largest for grapevine and smallest for meadow grass in both experiments. Sporulation was positively correlated with growth enhancement by mycorrhizal plants, and growth increments per unit infected root followed the same trend as spore numbers per unit infected root, i.e. largest for grapevine and lowest for meadow-grass. It is concluded that the ability of G. monosporum to produce spores and to enhance plant growth per unit infected root length depends on the host plant species.