No abstract

This investigation reports a novel and low-cost method of inoculum production of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungus, Funneliformis mosseae (sensu Glomus mosseae), using an organic medium. The experiment is a 3 £ 3 £ 4 factorial design employing three hosts, maize (Zea mays L.), lemon grass (Cymbopogon nardus (L.) Rendle) and palmarosa (Cymbopogan martini (Roxb.) Wats.), three forms of sugarcane bagasse substrate (fresh, dry and compost) and four different concentrations of each substrate (without substrate, 25, 50 and 100 g pot 21 ). Mass multiplication of F. mosseae was measured in terms of AM spore number and per cent root colonization. The plant growth was monitored in terms of plant height, above-ground fresh and dry weights and root fresh and dry weights. All three grasses tested varied in their tendency to be colonized by F. mosseae and in spore formation. Maize was found to be the most appropriate host followed by lemon grass and palmarosa. In the case of maize, a positive relationship was observed between spore number and root colonization rate and compost bagasse with highest concentration, 100 g, resulted in the greatest multiplication of F. mosseae. Maize with 100 g compost bagasse, lemon grass with 25 g of dry and 50 g of compost bagasse and palmarosa with 100 g compost and fresh bagasse showed greatest increase in plant growth.

  The present investigation was undertaken to find out efficient strains of arbuscular mycorrhiza (AM fungi) alone or in combinations with Trichoderma viride for inoculation Dendrocalamus strictus L. seedlings. The inoculated seedlings showed good response having higher plant height, phosphorous ions content in root and shoot, AM spore number and root colonization than non-inoculated (control) seedlings in both single (alone) and co-inoculation (combined consortium) experiments. T. viride showed significant growth followed by Glomus mosseae, G. fasciculatum and mixed AM with single inoculation. In co-inoculation, the best growth responses were observed with G. fasciculatum + T. viride followed by G. mosseae + T. viride, mixed vesicular arbuscular mycorrhizas (VAM) + T. viride, G. mosseae + G. fasciculatum + T. viride + mixed VAM, G. mosseae + G. fasciculatum + T. viride and G. mosseae + G. fasciculatum after 120 days and also depicted maximum increase in phosphorus content of shoot and root when compared with other inoculated seedlings. However, all the inoculated seedlings showed significant increase in phosphorus content when compared with control seedlings.