ANALYSING ARBUSCULAR YCORRHIZAL FUNGAL DIVERSITY IN THE HIZOSPHERE OF Guizotia abbysinica (L.f.) Cass., NORTH KARNATAKA, INDIA

Abstract

Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungal species diversity patterns may vary in a plant species as influenced by soil environmental and biological factors. In the present study, Guizotia abyssinica (L.f.) Cass., (Niger) rhizospheric soil samples were collected from 24 niger growing places belonging to 8 districts from North Karnataka, India. Rhizosphere soil samples were analysed for spore density, relative abundance and isolation frequency of AM fungal spores at genus as well as at species level and various soil physico-chemical properties were also determined. A total of 38 AM fungal morpho-species belonging to 13 genera were recorded and Genera Glomus was found to be the most predominated. Spores belong to Glomus, Acaulospora, Gigaspora and Sclerocystis were most frequent and Ambispora, Diversispora, Quatunica and Paraglomus were less frequent. Maximum relative abundance and isolation frequency was found with Rhizophagus fasciculatus and Glomus albidum while, least value for relative abundance was found with Gigaspora marginata and isolation frequency was with many AM fungal morpho-species.