Vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal symbioses in 7 plants and its relationship with soil factors and seasons

ABSTRACT: Mycorrhizal association in seven plants grown in Arasbaran forest located in the north west of Iran was investigated. The soil samples were collected from the plants rhizosphere. Physico-chemical properties of rhizosphere soils like soil texture, pH, EC and some extractable nutrients such as N, P and K recorded. The number of spores in rhizosphere soils and percentage of root mycorrhizal colonization were found. Soil physico-chemical analyses have been done on August but spore number and root colonization studied in tow times, May and August. All the data found in this research analyzed by statistical software, SPSS. Results showed that different plant species colonized differently by VAM fungi and through the time from May to August spore number and root mycorrhizal colonization increased. Among the physico-chemical factors, soil available N had high correlation with root colonization and soil extractable P had high correlation with soil spore number. pH had a high but negative correlation with spore number. Among the plant species, Stachys pubescens showed the most VAM fungi root colonization and Cruciata laevipes rhizosphere soil showed the most spore number.