Competition between plants of different successional stages: mycorrhizae as regulators

1984 ◽  
Vol 62 (12) ◽  
pp. 2625-2629 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edith Bach Allen ◽  
Michael F. Allen

Salsola kali, a colonizing annual which does not form vesicular–arbuscular mycorrhizae (nonmycotrophic), was grown in pure culture and in mixtures with two mycotrophic grasses which are late successional dominants, Agropyron smithii and Bouteloua gracilis. Soils were either left sterile or inoculated with mycorrhizal fungi. In pure culture mycorrhizae caused no significant increase in dry mass of either grass, but in mixed culture with S. kali, mycorrhizal infection was significantly related to increased mass of grasses. Mycorrhizal infection was related to increased stomatal conductance of the grasses in both pure and mixed culture. Salsola kali had lower stomatal conductance but not a significantly reduced mass with mycorrhizal fungi. Hyphae of mycorrhizal fungi, but not vesicles or arbuscules, were observed in the rhizosphere and occasionally the cortex of S. kali. Where competition between colonizing nonmycorrhizal species and later successional mycorrhizal species is a mechanism which drives succession, the inoculum density may determine the rate of succession.

1999 ◽  
Vol 77 (7) ◽  
pp. 1028-1034 ◽  
Author(s):  
T P McGonigle ◽  
J P Hovius ◽  
R L Peterson

Temporal patterns of colonization of roots of perennials by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi are poorly understood because annual crops are more often studied. The objective was to monitor in detail the growth and mycorrhizae of the perennial American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius L.) over the first 2 years after seeding. In particular, the extent of carry-over of colonization into the second year was examined. Delayed germination of some seeds caused by chance-driven variability in the time needed for seed maturation after seed collection provided an opportunity to compare first- and second-year plants under identical conditions in the second year. For all plants, development of arbuscules rose to a maximum in mid-August, falling partially thereafter. Production of hyphal coils proceeded more slowly but steadily, so that end-of-season colonization was composed equally of arbuscules and hyphal coils. Between seasons, taproot dry mass was reduced by 18%, whereas lateral root length increased by 15%. These changes were probably caused by root turnover, which left little initial colonization of roots at the start of the second year. Strikingly, second-year plants did not exhibit a colonization lag phase, whereas a lag of 43 days was seen for the first-year plants alongside. Possible reasons for this difference are discussed.Key words: perennial, arbuscules, hyphal coils, taproot, Ontario.


1986 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 103-108 ◽  
Author(s):  
Georg F. Backhaus ◽  
Per Häggblom ◽  
Lars Owe Nilsson

Cuttings of Salixdasyclados and Salixdaphnoides were grown in clay, peat, or sand under greenhouse conditions and inoculated with endomycorrhizal roots. Uninoculated cuttings in the same substrates served as controls. All plants were fertilized with a commercial fertilizer solution. Shoot dry mass and colonization by vesicular–arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi were measured during the experiment. At the end of the experiment growth of inoculated plants was significantly enhanced in peat (p < 0.001) and sand (p < 0.01), while in clay, no effect of inoculation on growth was found. In peat and sand increased growth of plants could be correlated with frequency of vesicular–arbuscular mycorrhizal colonization. No significant differences in concentrations of P or N in leaves and stems were noted between mycorrhizal and nonmycorrhizal plants at the end of the experiment. It is concluded that vesicular–arbuscular mycorrhizae stimulate growth of willow under greenhouse conditions despite application of easily available nutrients.


1982 ◽  
Vol 60 (4) ◽  
pp. 468-471 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael F. Allen ◽  
Thomas S. Moore Jr. ◽  
Martha Christensen

Bouteloua gracilis (H.B.K.) Lag ex Steud (blue grama) was grown in a defined medium with and without the vesicular–arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus Glomus fasciculatus for 50 days. Levels of gibberellin-like substances (GA) and a substance like abscisic acid (ABA) of mycorrhizal and nonmycorrhizal plants were measured using the barley half-seed bioassay and UV detection of peaks from a μ-Bondapak–NH2 anion exchange high-performance liquid chromatograph column, respectively. Infection by mycorrhizal fungi resulted in significantly increased GA activity in the leaves and a tendency for decreased activity in the roots. ABA concentration decreased in leaves of infected plants but remained unchanged in roots. Increased levels of GA with reduced ABA in the leaves may alter substantially the physiology of B. gracilis.


1980 ◽  
Vol 58 (3) ◽  
pp. 371-374 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael F. Allen ◽  
Thomas S. Moore Jr. ◽  
Martha Christensen

Bouteloua gracilis was grown in defined, axenic culture with and without vesicular–arbuscular (VA) mycorrhizae. Leaves and roots of mycorrhizal and nonmycorrhizal plants were harvested and assayed for cytokinin content using a soybean callus tissue bioassay. Total cytokinin activity was 57 and 111% greater in leaves and roots, respectively, in mycorrhizal over control plants. Cytokinin activities, separated using paper chromatography with water saturated n-butanol as a solvent, doubled in roots and leaves at Rf values of 0.3 and 0.9 and increased 9-fold in roots at an Rf value of 0.1 with infection. This appears to be the first demonstration of altered cytokinin levels in plants resulting from mycorrhizal infection.


1985 ◽  
Vol 105 (3) ◽  
pp. 649-657 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. G. Buwalda ◽  
D. P. Stribley ◽  
P. B. Tinker

SUMMARYThe importance of mycorrhizal infection for the growth of wheat and barley sown in winter and spring was assessed in two field experiments. Low temperatures during winter restricted the development of mycorrhizal infection, and calculations of ‘thermal time’ indicated that the percentage of root length infected did not increase when mean temperatures were less than 5 °C. Hence infection was less in the winter-sown crops than in the spring-sown crops at early stages of plant development. However, the effects of mycorrhizal infection on growth were greater in winter-sown than in spring-sown wheat.At all levels of applied phosphorus up to 60 kg P/ha, artificial inoculation with mycorrhizal fungi increased the yields of both cereals at each sowing date by 17–25% after indigenous mycorrhizal fungi had been removed by fumigation, but the effects were smaller on non-fumigated plots. The results confirmed the potential importance of mycorrhizal infection for the growth of cereals.Mycorrhizal infection increased the phosphorus concentration in the plant tissue at very early stages of growth, but the effect generally declined with time.


2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 1062
Author(s):  
Regina Lúcia Félix de Aguiar Lima

Fungos micorrízicos arbusculares (FMA) se associam às raízes das plantas e incrementam a absorção de fósforo (P), macronutriente com baixa mobilidade no solo. A capacidade de fixação de P do solo e a competição com a biota heterotrófica afetam sua disponibilidade para plantas. Visando avaliar a contribuição dos FMA na absorção de P em solos com capacidade crescente de fixação ou em situação de competição com a biota foram realizados experimentos em vasos compartimentalizados cultivados com braquiária associada a FMA, contendo substrato marcado com 32P. Foram quantificadas a massa seca das plantas, o conteúdo e a atividade específica do P. No experimento 1 avaliou-se a absorção de P por raízes e hifas de FMA ou somente por hifas em solos com alta, média e baixa capacidade fixação de P. No experimento 2 avaliou-se a absorção de P por raízes e hifas de FMA ou somente por hifas em solos com alta e baixa capacidade fixação de P em situação de competição com a biota do solo ativada por fontes de carbono. O aumento da capacidade de fixação de P pelo solo resultou em diminuição de massa seca, conteúdo de P e atividade específica nas plantas. No solo com alta fixação de P, plantas com absorção exclusiva por hifas de FMA tiveram aumento da massa seca e conteúdo de P. Em situação de competição, houve diminuição na massa seca e no conteúdo de P nas plantas. Plantas com absorção por raízes e hifas de FMA tiveram maior atividade específica de P. Arbuscular mycorrhizae and phosphorus uptake in soils as a function of adsorption capacity and competition with microbiota A B S T R A C TArbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are associated with plant roots and increase the absorption of phosphorus (P), macronutrient with low soil mobility. Soil P fixation capacity and competition with heterotrophic biota affect its availability. To evaluate the contribution of AMF to P uptake in soils with increasing fixation capacity or in competition with biota, experiments were carried out in compartmentalized pots cultivated with AMF-associated Brachiaria decumbens containing 32P-labeled substrate. Plant dry mass, content and specific activity of P. were quantified. In experiment 1, the absorption of P by roots and hyphae of AMF or only by hyphae in soils with high, medium and low P. fixation capacity was evaluated. In experiment 2, the absorption of P by roots and hyphae of AMF or only by hyphae in soils with high and low P fixation capacity in competition with carbon-activated soil biota was evaluated. Increasing P fixation capacity by soil resulted in decreased dry matter, P content and specific activity in plants. In soil with high P fixation, plants with exclusive absorption by FMA hyphae had increased dry matter and P content. In a competition situation, there was a decrease in dry matter and P content in plants. Plants absorbed by roots and hyphae of AMF had higher P-specific activity.Keywords: 32P, P-soil fixing, AMF, extraradical mycelium, hyphal absorption


Rumen ciliates still have mysterious secrets and influences in ruminants. This study investigated the effect of transfaunation of pure and mixed cultures of rumen ciliates on physical clinical examination, selected serum parameters and milk profile in defaunated lactating dairy goats. A number of 8 Baladi native breed goats were randomly classified into two groups each one containing 4 goats. Pure culture group was transfaunated with 6 ml of pure culture of Holotricha spp., while mixed culture group was transfaunated with 6 ml of mixed culture of 81.85% Holotricha and 18.15% Ophryoscolex spp. once weekly for three consecutive weeks, after defaunation of both groups using 30 ml of 8% SLS for two consecutive days. Serum and milk samples were collected weekly for three successive weeks to study effect of type of ciliate culture, duration of transfaunation and their interaction. Results revealed that transfaunation of pure and mixed cultures of rumen ciliates had no effect on physical examination with minimal non-significant improvement of calcium, inorganic phosphorous, total protein and globulin in serum of defaunated goats. Transfaunation of pure or mixed cultures of rumen ciliates within three weeks could not improve significantly decreased milk fat % of defaunated goats without any effect on other measured milk profile parameters. It is concluded that further investigations on transfaunation without prior defaunation should be performed using different pure and mixed cultures of rumen ciliates for therapeutic and productive purposes.


HortScience ◽  
1998 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 501c-501
Author(s):  
Andrés A. Estrada-Luna ◽  
Jonathan N. Egilla ◽  
Fred T. Davies

The effect of mycorrhizal fungi on gas exchange of micropropagated guava plantlets (Psidium guajava L.) during acclimatization and plant establishment was determined. Guava plantlets (Psidium guajava L. cv. `Media China') were asexually propagated through tissue culture and acclimatized in a glasshouse for eighteen weeks. Half of the plantlets were inoculated with ZAC-19, which is a mixed isolate containing Glomus etunicatum and an unknown Glomus spp. Plantlets were fertilized with modified Long Ashton nutrient solution containing 11 (g P/ml. Gas exchange measurements included photosynthetic rate (A), stomatal conductance (gs), internal CO2 concentration (Ci), transpiration rate (E), water use efficiency (WUE), and vapor pressure deficit (VPD). Measurements were taken at 2, 4, 8 and 18 weeks after inoculation using a LI-6200 portable photosynthesis system (LI-COR Inc. Lincoln, Neb., USA). Two weeks after inoculation, noninoculated plantlets had greater A compared to mycorrhizal plantlets. However, 4 and 8 weeks after inoculation, mycorrhizal plantlets had greater A, gs, Ci and WUE. At the end of the experiment gas exchange was comparable between noninoculated and mycorrhizal plantlets.


1999 ◽  
Vol 39 (7) ◽  
pp. 243-250 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joana Azeredo ◽  
Valentina Lazarova ◽  
Rosário Oliveira

To study the composition of a biofilm a previous extraction method is required to separate cells from the matrix. There are several methods reported in the literature; however they are not efficient or promote leakage of intracellular material. In this work several extraction methods were assayed in mixed culture and pure culture biofilms and their efficiency was evaluated by the amount of organic carbon, proteins and intracellular material extracted. The results showed that the extraction with glutaraldehyde 3% (w/v) was the most suitable method, extracting great amounts of organic carbon without promoting cell lysis or permeabilization. Glutaraldehyde is a bifunctional reagent that binds to cell walls avoiding their permeabilization and the biofilm matrix is solubilized in the solution.


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