Effectiveness of VAM fungi in nonsterile soils before and after optimization of P in soil solution

• Published in: Plant and soil Vol. 151; no. 2; pp. 219 - 226
• Main Authors: Habte, M. (Hawaii Univ., Honolulu, HI (USA). Dept. of Agronomy and Soil Science), Fox, R.L
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Kluwer Academic Publishers 01-04-1993; Springer
• Subjects: Agricultural soils; Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; Biological and medical sciences; Clay soils; Economic plant physiology; FOSFORO; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Fungi; GLOMUS; Inoculation; LEUCAENA LEUCOCEPHALA; MICORRIZAS ARBUSCULARES VESICULARES; MYCORHIZE A VESICULE ET ARBUSCULE; PHOSPHORE; PHOSPHORUS; Plants; Soil fungi; Soil inoculation; Soil solution; Soil treatment; SOL TROPICAL; SUELO TROPICAL; Symbiosis (nodules, symbiotic nitrogen fixation, mycorrhiza...); TROPICAL SOILS; VESICULAR ARBUSCULAR MYCORRHIZAE; Soil fertility; Phycomycetes; Inorganic element; Optimization; Fungi; Tropical soil; Efficiency; Dicotyledones; Angiospermae; Ultisols; Soil solution; Thallophyta; Symbiosis; Symbionte; Nutrition; Trophic factor; Property of soil; Phosphorus; Oxisols; Leucaena leucocephala; Multipurpose tree; Indicator; Pot experimentation; Soils; Edaphic factor; Endomycorrhiza; Leguminosae; Mycorrhiza; Nutrient; Spermatophyta; Soil plant relation; Inceptisols; Colonization
• ISSN: 0032-079X; 1573-5036
• DOI: 10.1007/BF00016287

Five tropical soils were either not inoculated or inoculated with the vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal (VAM) fungus Glomus aggregatum. The degree to which VAM effectiveness was expressed in the soils was evaluated prior and after solution P status was adjusted for optimal VAM activity. VAM effectiveness determined by monitoring P concentrations of pinnules of Leucaena leucocephala leaves as a function of time and as dry matter yield determined at the time of harvest, indicated that in three of the soils VAM effectiveness was either very restricted or altogether unexpressed irrespective of vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal (VAMF) inoculation if soil solution P was not optimized for VAM effectiveness. After P optimization, effectiveness was significantly increased by VAMF inoculation although in four of the soils, densities of indigenous VAMF propagules greatly exceeded that attained by the inoculum after it was mixed with soil. Mycorrhizal fungal inoculation effects varied from soil to soil, depending on the extent to which the effectiveness of indigenous and introduced endophytes was enhanced by P optimization and the similarity of inherent soil solution P concentrations to the range known to be optimum for VAM effectiveness. Of the indicator variables monitored, VAMF colonization was least sensitive to treatment effects followed by shoot P concentration measured at the time of harvest.