The response of Glomus fistulosum–maize mycorrhiza to treatments with culture fractions from Pseudomonas putida

 This study examined which culture fraction of the plant-growth-promoting bacterium Pseudomonas putida (Trevisan) Migula has an effect on growth and mycorrhiza formation of maize (Zea mays L.). Shoot dry weight and total leaf area of plants did not increase after inoculation with Glomus fistulosum but were significantly higher than the controls when the plants were dualinoculated with G. fistulosum and living cells of P. putida. Mycorrhizal infection of the roots was significantly higher when plants were inoculated with G. fistulosum together with living cells of P. putida or with G. fistulosum and dialysed cell extracts of P. putida than with G. fistulosum alone. Development of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) extraradical hyphae and the proportion of extraradical hyphae showing NADH diaphorase activity were significantly enhanced by inoculation of plants with living cells of P. putida or dialysed cell extracts of P. putida. No stimulation of extraradical hyphae proliferation from in vitro incubated mycorrhizal root segments was observed after application of culture fractions of P. putida. However, the percentage contamination of the root segments by extraneous filamentous fungi significantly decreased in the presence of livingcells of P. putida. Accepted: 12 January 1996