Growth response of marigold (Tagetes erecta L.) to inoculation withGlomus mosseae,Trichoderma aureoviride andPythium ultimum in a peat-perlite mixture

The interactions between the mycorrhizal fungusGlomus mosseae, the plant pathogenPythium ultimum, and a pathogen-antagonistTrichoderma aureoviride in the rhizosphere ofTagetes erecta (marigold) were studied for their effects on plant growth in a peat-perlite substrate. Mycorrhizal fungus inoculation protected the plant againstP. ultimum, since both phytomass production and foliar development were higher in mycorrhizal plants.T. aureoviride had no effect on nonmycorrhizal plants in the presence or absence ofP. ultimum. However, more biomass was produced by mycorrhizal plants whenT. aureoviride was present, whether or not soil was infested withP. ultimum. ei]R Rodriguez-Kabana     

Induction and accumulation of phytoalexins in cowpea roots infected with a mycorrhizal fungusGlomus fasciculatum and their resistance toFusarium wilt disease

The interaction of a vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal fungusGlomus fasciculatum with a wilt-causing soil borne pathogen,Fusarium oxysporum, was studied in cowpea (Vigna unguiculata). It was found that pre-establishment by vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus reduced the colonization of the pathogen and the severity of the disease, as determined by reduction in vascular discolouration index. In mycorrhizal plants, the production of phytoalexin compounds was always higher than in the nonmycorrhizal plants. There appeared to be a direct correlation between the concentration of the phytoalexins and the degree of mycorrhizal association. Three different compounds withR _f values of 0.23 (I), 0.17 (II) and 0.11 (III) were obtained from mycorrhizal plants. Similar compounds were also found to be induced by an abiotic elicitor CuSO₄. The first compound was identified as an isoflavonoid, daidzein and the other two remain to be identified. These compounds were checked for their antifungal activityin vitro. The germination of conidial spores ofFusarium oxysporum was strongly inhibited by the compound III than the other two. It is argued that the production of phytoalexin compounds in mycorrhizal plant could be one of the mechanisms imparting tolerance of the plants to wilt disease.     

The use of arbuscular mycorrhizae to control onion white rot (Sclerotium cepivorum Berk.) under field conditions

 A field experiment was carried out to determine the effects of the inoculation of onion (Allium cepa L.) with Glomus sp. Zac-19 on the development of onion white rot (Sclerotium cepivorum Berk.) and on onion production. Mycorrhization delayed onion white rot epidemics by 2 weeks and provided a significant protection against the disease for 11 weeks after onion transplanting, as compared with nonmycorrhizal controls. Mycorrhizal plants showed an increase of 22% in yield, regardless of the presence of the white rot pathogen. Accepted: 8 January 1996     

The mycorrhizal status of the woody Mediterranean shrub Myrtus communis L.

  Myrtus communis L. (myrtle), a typical Mediterranean plant species belonging to the family Myrtaceae, was shown to form arbuscular mycorrhizal symbioses in nature. Many different spore types were isolated from its rhizosphere and grown in pot cultures; six of them were identified as Glomus species. In the laboratory, the myrtle root system was colonized by indigenous endophytes as well as by an Italian isolate of Glomus intraradices. In greenhouse experiments, mycorrhizal inoculation reduced transplant stress in 60-day-old myrtle seedlings; their growth was renewed immediately after transplanting, whereas non-mycorrhizal plants stopped development. Significantly larger growth responses were obtained using indigenous fungi than the Italian isolate of Glomus intraradices. Accepted: 16 January 1997     

Effects of vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhiza on Tagetes erecta and Zinnia elegans

 Seeds of Tagetes erecta and Zinnia elegans were planted in soil inoculated with the vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus Glomus etunicatum. This procedure produced positive effects on both Tagetes and Zinnia compared with the control: faster flowering and an increased number of flowers. Shoot height, shoot and root dry weights and percentage infected root length were also measured. The reactions of these plants to mycorrhizal infection were shown to be independent of changes in the phosphorus, potassium and sodium contents of the plants. Accepted: 1 August 1995     

Influence of arbuscular mycorrhizae on the metabolism of maize under drought stress

A greenhouse experiment was carried out to investigate the influence of the arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungus (Glomus intraradices Schenck & Smith) on metabolic changes in tropical maize (Zea mays L.) under drought. Two cultivars, Tuxpeno sequia CO (drought sensitive) and C8 (drought resistant), were subjected for 3 weeks to water stress following tasselling (75–95 days after sowing). Fully expanded 7th or 8th leaves were sampled and assessed for levels of chlorophyll, sugars, proteins, and amino acids. Chlorophyll content was not altered either by water stress or the presence of mycorrhizae. Mycorrhizal plants (M+) had higher total and reducing sugars than nonmycorrhizal plants (M-) at the end of 3 weeks of the drought cycle. An increase in protein content was observed with drought stress in M + plants of the cultivar C0. Most of the amino acids showed a linear increase during the period of water stress in M+ and M- plants for both cultivars. Total amino acids increased by 40.6% and 43.7% in M- plants of C0 and C8, respectively. With the presence of AM fungus, amino acid levels increased by only 10.7% and 19.2% of leaf dry mass in C0 and C8, respectively. Alanine, asparagine, glutamine, and glycine accounted for 70% of the amino acid pool. Under drought, AM inoculation enabled the plants to retain considerable amounts of sugars and proteins, especially in the drought-sensitive cultivar C0. This may be of physiological importance in helping the plant to withstand moderate drought.     

Effect of inoculation withGlomus mosseae on nitrogen fixation by field grown soybeans

Summary This field study was undertaken to determine the effect of inoculation withGlomus mosseae on N₂ fixation and P uptake by soybean. The inoculation withGlomus mosseae was achieved using a new type of inoculant, alginate-entrapped (AE) endomycorrhizal fungus. N₂ fixation was assessed using the A value method. In P-fertilized plots, inoculation with AEGlomus mosseae increased the harvest index based on dry weight (+20%) and N content of seeds (+17%), the A value (+31%) and %N derived from fixation (+75%). Inoculation with AEGlomus mosseae decreased the coefficient of variation for the A value and for the dry weights of the different plant parts.     

Absence of VA colonization in Oxalis pes-caprae inoculated with Glomus mosseae

Although members of the Oxalidaceae family have been described as host plants of vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, Oxalis pes-caprae did not become colonized by Glomus mosseae. Extracts of Ox. pes-caprae root inhibited the germination of G. mosseae spores. However, the presence of G. mosseae in the rhizosphere of Ox. pes-caprae produced browning of the roots, which was interpreted as a hypersensitivity response of the plant to the presence of VA fungus.     

Effects of ethrel on the formation and responses to VA mycorrhiza in Medicago and Triticum

Summary Ethrel, a compound which readily releases ethylene, depressed VA mycorrhiza formation inMedicago sativa andTriticum vulgare when it was either applied to the rooting medium or sprayed to the foliage. The axenic germination ofGlomus mosseae spores was found to be sensitive to ethrel suggesting that at least part of the effect of ethrel on mycorrhization could come from its effect on fungal development. The possible ecological significance of these findings is discussed.     

丛枝菌根真菌促进南美蟛蜞菊生长及对难溶磷的吸收

为了解2种丛枝菌根真菌(AMF)摩西管柄囊霉(Funneliformis mosseae, FM)和地表球囊霉(Glomus versiforme, GV)对入侵植物南美蟛蜞菊(Wedelia trilobata)的生长和对难溶性磷酸盐利用的影响,采用沙培盆栽方式,研究了南美蟛蜞菊在接种AMF与添加难溶性磷酸盐的生长和磷含量的变化。结果表明,在磷限制环境下FM对南美蟛蜞菊的侵染率达55%～69%,GV的侵染率达到63%～80%。添加难溶性磷酸盐后,2种AMF均促进了南美蟛蜞菊茎的伸长(FM:+46%; GV:+65%)、总生物量的增加(FM:+27.2%; GV:+40%)和磷含量的增加(FM:+36.6%; GV:+40.7%)。对比FM,GV对植物利用难溶性磷有更显著的促进作用。因此,南美蟛蜞菊与2种AMF形成的共生体系可以促进植物生长和对营养资源的利用,提高对难溶性磷的吸收效率可能使得南美蟛蜞菊在营养贫乏的环境中更好地建立种群。