Colloque

Overwintering of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi is reduced by detachment from corn (Zea mays L.) roots or from the mycelial web

Zahangir Kabir

Membre a labase

Zahangir Kabir

Résumé du colloque

The experiment was run to investigate the survival of indigenous arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal (AMF) hyphae when they overwinter connected or detached from corn roots. Soil filled pouches were buried in the root zone of a field grown corn which either allowed root entry (coarse pouches) or excluded roots (fine pouches). Three soil disturbance treatments were applied to these pouches in the fall following crop harvest. They were: 1) no disturbance, 2) disturbance outside but not inside the pouch, and 3) disturbance inside and outside the pouch. Hyphae abundance in the soil contained in the pouches was measured in the fall and in the spring. Total and metabolically active hyphae measured in the undisturbed control were 20% and 33% less abundant respectively in the spring than in the fall. The proportion of live hyphae were more abundant in the coarse mesh pouches than in the fine mesh pouches, suggesting that AM hyphae survived winter better when they were close or attached to corn roots. Hyphal density progressively diminished with increased disturbance.