Skip to main content

Glomus intraradices dominates arbuscular mycorrhizal communities in a heavy textured agricultural soil

Mycorrhiza volume 16, pages 61–66 (2005)Cite this article

Abstract

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal (AMF) spore communities were surveyed in a long-term field fertilization experiment in Switzerland, where different amounts of phosphorus (P) were applied to soil. Plots receiving no P as well as plots systematically fertilized in excess to plant needs for 31 years were used to test the hypothesis that application of P fertilizer changes the composition and diversity of AMF communities. AMF spores were isolated from the field soil, identified, and counted so as to quantify the effect of P fertilization on AMF spore density, composition, and diversity. Trap cultures were established from field soil with four host plants (sunflower, leek, maize, and Crotalaria grahamiana), and the spore communities were then analyzed in substrate samples from the pots. Altogether, nine AMF species were detected in the soil. No evidence has been acquired for effect of P fertilization on spore density, composition, and diversity of AMF in both the field soil and in trap cultures. On the other hand, we observed strong effect of crop plant species on spore densities in the soil, the values being lowest under rapeseed and highest under Phacelia tanacetifolia covercrop. The identity of plant species in trap pots also significantly affected composition and diversity of associated AMF communities, probably due to preferential establishment of symbiosis between certain plant and AMF species. AMF spore communities under mycorrhizal host plants (wheat and Phacelia in the fields and four host plant species in trap pots) were dominated by a single AMF species, Glomus intraradices. This resulted in exceptionally low AMF spore diversity that seems to be linked to high clay content of the soil.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution.

Access options

Buy single article

Instant access to the full article PDF.

43,34 €

Price includes VAT (Finland)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Fig. 1

References

  • Allen MF, Swenson W, Querejeta JI, Egerton-Warburton LM, Treseder KK (2003) Ecology of mycorrhizae: a conceptual framework for complex interactions among plants and fungi. Annu Rev Phytopathol 41:271–303

    CAS  Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Allison VJ, Goldberg DE (2002) Species-level versus community-level patterns of mycorrhizal dependence on phosphorus: an example of Simpson's paradox. Funct Ecol 16:346–352

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Arihara J, Karasawa T (2000) Effect of previous crops on arbuscular mycorrhizal formation and growth of succeeding maize. Soil Sci Plant Nutr 46:43–51

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Blaszkowski J (1989) The occurrence of the Endogonaceae in Poland. Agric Ecosyst Environ 29:45–50

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cornwell WK, Bedford BL, Chapin CT (2001) Occurrence of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in a phosphorus-poor wetland and mycorrhizal response to phosphorus fertilization. Am J Bot 88:1824–1829

    CAS  Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Douds DD, Millner P (1999) Biodiversity of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in agroecosystems. Agric Ecosyst Environ 74:77–93

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Drew EA, Murray RS, Smith SE, Jakobsen I (2003) Beyond the rhizosphere: growth and function of arbuscular mycorrhizal external hyphae in sands of varying pore sizes. Plant Soil 251:105–114

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ezawa T, Yamamoto K, Yoshida S (2000) Species composition and spore density of indigenous vesicular–arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi under different conditions of P fertility as revealed by soybean trap culture. Soil Sci Plant Nutr 46:291–297

    Google Scholar 

  • Fardeau JC (1996) Dynamics of phosphate in soils. An isotopic outlook. Fert Rep 45:91–100

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gallet A, Flisch R, Ryser JP, Frossard E, Sinaj S (2003) Effect of phosphate fertilization on crop yield and soil phosphorus status. J Plant Nutr Soil Sci 166:568–578

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hooker JE, Black KE (1995) Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi as components of sustainable soil–plant systems. Crit Rev Biotechnol 15:201–212

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jansa J, Mozafar A, Anken T, Ruh R, Sanders IR, Frossard E (2002) Diversity and structure of AMF communities as affected by tillage in a temperate soil. Mycorrhiza 12:225–234

    CAS  Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Jansa J, Mozafar A, Kuhn G, Anken T, Ruh R, Sanders IR, Frossard E (2003) Soil tillage affects the community structure of mycorrhizal fungi in maize roots. Ecol Appl 13:1164–1176

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Johnson NC (1993) Can fertilization of soil select less mutualistic mycorrhizae? Ecol Appl 3:749–757

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Jukes T, Cantor CR (1969) Evolution of protein molecules. In: Munro HM (ed) Mammalian protein metabolism. Academic, New York, pp 21–132

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Kahiluoto H, Ketoja E, Vestberg M, Saarela I (2001) Promotion of AM utilization through reduced P fertilization 2. Field studies. Plant Soil 231:65–79

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Khalil S, Loynachan TE, McNabb HS (1992) Colonisation of soybean by mycorrhizal fungi and spore populations in Iowa soils. Agron J 84:832–836

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Koske RE, Gemma JN, Olexia PD (1986) Glomus microaggregatum, a new species in the Endogonaceae. Mycotaxon 26:125–132

    Google Scholar 

  • Nadian H, Smith SE, Alston AM, Murray RS (1996) The effect of soil compaction on growth and P uptake by Trifolium subterraneum: interactions with mycorrhizal colonisation. Plant Soil 182:39–49

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nadian H, Smith SE, Alston AM, Murray RS, Siebert BD (1998) Effects of soil compaction on phosphorus uptake and growth of Trifolium subterraneum colonized by four species of vesicular–arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. New Phytol 140:155–165

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Oehl F, Sieverding E, Ineichen K, Mäder P, Boller T, Wiemken A (2003) Impact of land use intensity on the species diversity of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in agroecosystems of Central Europe. Appl Environ Microbiol 69:2816–2824

    CAS  Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Oehl F, Sieverding E, Mäder P, Dubois D, Ineichen K, Boller T, Wiemken A (2004) Impact of long-term conventional and organic farming on the diversity of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. Oecologia 138:574–583

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ryan MH, Graham JH (2002) Is there a role for arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in production agriculture? Plant Soil 244:263–271

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rydlová J, Enkhtuya B, Vosátka M (2004) Sporulation of four arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi isolates inside dead seed cavities and glass capillaries. Symbiosis 36:269–284

    Google Scholar 

  • Saif SR (1981) The influence of soil aeration on the efficiency of vesicular–arbuscular mycorrhizas. I. Effect of soil oxygen on growth and mineral uptake of Eupatorium odoratum L. inoculated with Glomus macrocarpus. New Phytol 88:649–659

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sanders IR (2004) Plant and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal diversity—are we looking at the relevant levels of diversity and are we using the right techniques? New Phytol 164:415–418

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schärer M, Vollmer T, Frossard E, Stamm C, Fluhler H, Sinaj S (2005) Effect of water composition on phosphorus concentration in runoff and water-soluble phosphate in two grassland soils. Eur J Soil Sci (in press). doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2389.2005.00732.x

  • Schenck NC, Smith GS (1982) Additional new and unreported species of mycorrhizal fungi (Endogonaceae) from Florida. Mycologia 74:77–92

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sjoberg J, Persson P, Martensson A, Mattsson L, Adholeya A, Alstrom S (2004) Occurrence of Glomeromycota spores and some arbuscular mycorrhiza fungal species in arable fields in Sweden. Acta Agric Scand B Soil Plant Sci 54:202–212

    Google Scholar 

  • Sylvia DM, Hubbell DH (1986) Growth and sporulation of VAM fungi in aeroponic and membrane systems. Symbiosis 1:259–267

    Google Scholar 

  • Vandepeer Y, Dewachter R (1994) Treecon for Windows—a software package for the construction and drawing of evolutionary trees for the Microsoft Windows environment. Comput Appl Biosci 10:569–570

    CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We thank Dr. Marcel Bucher (ETH Zürich) for providing lab space to perform the molecular identification part of this study. Financial support of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zürich (project No. TH-5/01-2/00447) is gratefully acknowledged.

Author information

Affiliations

  1. Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zürich, Institute of Plant Sciences, Eschikon 33, 8315, Lindau, Switzerland

    N. Mathimaran, R. Ruh, E. Frossard & J. Jansa

  2. AGROSCOPE, Swiss Federal Research Station for Plant Production (RAC), Changins, 1260, Nyon, Switzerland

    P. Vullioud

Authors
  1. N. Mathimaran
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. R. Ruh
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. P. Vullioud
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. E. Frossard
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. J. Jansa
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to J. Jansa.

Electronic supplementary material

Fig. S1

AMF spores isolated directly from the field soil, mounted in PVLG + Melzer reagent and observed under compound microscope: G. constrictum (a), G. caledonium (b), G. mosseae (c), G. geosporum (d), G. dimorphicum (e–f), G. microaggregatum (spores inside a glomeralean spore) (g), G. claroideum (h), G. intraradices (i)

Fig. S2

AMF spores isolated from trap pots, mounted in PVLG + Melzer reagent and observed under compound microscope: G. caledonium (a), G. mosseae (b), G. claroideum (c), G. intraradices (d), P. occultum (e–f)

Fig. S3

Phylogenetic tree based on partial sequencing of LSU gene. Bootstrap values above 75% are indicated. Taxonomic affiliations are given in right column. Previously published sequences are reported with their respective GenBank accession numbers. Sequences obtained in this study are shown in bold. Asterisk (*) indicates other unpublished sequences

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Mathimaran, N., Ruh, R., Vullioud, P. et al. Glomus intraradices dominates arbuscular mycorrhizal communities in a heavy textured agricultural soil. Mycorrhiza 16, 61–66 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00572-005-0014-9

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00572-005-0014-9

Keywords

  • Identification
  • Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF)
  • Field experiment
  • Phosphorus (P) fertilization
  • Glomus intraradices