An instrumental modification of Gerdemann and Nicolson's method for extracting VAM fungal spores from soil samples

• Published in: Plant and soil Vol. 121; no. 2; pp. 211 - 215
• Main Authors: Vilarino, A. (Instituto de Investigaciones Agrobiologicas de Galicia, Santiago de Compostela (Spain). Unidad Estructural de Fisiologia Vegetal), Arines, J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Kluwer Academic Publishers 01-02-1990; Springer
• Subjects: Agricultural soils; Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; AZOTE; Biological and medical sciences; Clay soils; ECHANTILLONNAGE; Economic plant physiology; ESPORAS; extraction; Flow velocity; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Fungal spores; MICORRIZAS ARBUSCULARES VESICULARES; MUESTREO; MYCORHIZE A VESICULE ET ARBUSCULE; NITROGEN; NITROGENO; SAMPLING; Sand soils; Sieving; SOIL; Soil fungi; Soil samples; SOL; SPORE; Spore dispersal; SPORES; SUELO; Symbiosis (nodules, symbiotic nitrogen fixation, mycorrhiza...); VESICULAR ARBUSCULAR MYCORRHIZAE; Soils; Sieving; Extraction process; Decantation; Spores; Mycorrhiza
• ISSN: 0032-079X; 1573-5036
• DOI: 10.1007/BF00012314

An easily constructed apparatus for extraction of VAM fungal spores from soil samples by a modification of Gerdemann and Nicolson's wet sieving and decanting method is described. For the soils employed in this study, it proved considerably more effective and more precise than either the original wet sieving and decanting method or differential water/sucrose centrifugation. The apparatus gave results that were less subject to interference from extraneous particles than the wet sieving and decanting method. The effect of prior soil dispersion is also reported.