Abstract

ARBUSCULAR MYCORRHIZAL FUNGAL DIVERSITY AND ROOT COLONIZATION OF SOME MEDICINAL PLANTS RHIZOSPHERE SOIL OF MADAYIPARA HILLS, KANNUR, WESTERN GHATS KERALA

Muthuraj K*, Prasad Joseph V J And N Nagarajan

ABSTRACT

The present study was to analyse the occurrence of mycorrhizal diversity in 46 medicinal plants belonging to 25 families of Madayipara hills, Kannur, Kerala and to explore for structures correlated to possible functional position of the symbiosis. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal colonization ranged from 24–81%. The highest infection was found in Justicia gendarussa and lowest in Naregamia alata. AM fungal spore population with a range of 140 to 620 in100 g of rhizosphere soils was detected. The maximum spore population was observed in the species, Maranta arundinaceae (620/100g of soil) and the minimum in Achyranthes aspera (140/100g of soil). Totally 35 AM fungal species were isolated which belongs to four genera (Aculospora, Gigaspora, Glomus and Scutellospora) and among them Glomus was dominant genera. The soil pH was also determined.

Keywords: Mycorrhizae, Justicia gendarussa and colonization.