2015 Vol.21 No.1 PP 103-106

STUDIES ON AM FUNGAL ASSOCIATION WITH CERTAIN MEDICINAL PLANTS.

ABHIJIT KULKARNI

Post Graduate Department of Botany, Ahmednagar College, Ahmednagar
E-mail: abhijitkulkar@gmail.com

ABSTRACT

The present investigation was carried out to study the prevalence of AM fungi in certain medicinal plants growing in and around Ahmednagar College by determining the extent of root colonization, spore density in the rhizospheric soil. In all 10 medicinal plants, hosts were screened for the presence of AM fungi. All the 10 medicinal plant hosts from different families were found to be mycorrhizal. The colonization was observed in the form of mycelium, arbuscules, vesicles and chlamydospores. The arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, spores isolated from different sites were represented by 1 species of Acaulospora, 1 species of Gigaspora, 8 species of Glomus and 2 species of Scutellispora. In the present investigation maximum plants showed mycelia-root colonization and the formation of vesicles. Out of 10 plants 2 plants showed mycelial colonization (60 %) and 4 plants showed formation of vesicles (50 %) and remaining plants showed colonization 30%. This colonization of roots by AM fungi was correlated with the number of spore propagules found in rhizosphere soil. It has been observed that Cyperus indica showed maximum number of spores (110/25g of soil) followed by Synedrella (62/25 g of soil).

Key words :Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, Medicinal plants.