Abstract
The influence of tillage practices on native arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) was studied in two, consecutive years in eastern Canada, in two 11 year-old long-term tillage-fertilizer experimental field soils, a sandy loam and a clay, growing corn in monoculture. The three tillage practices were: 1) conventional tillage (CT; fall plowing plus spring disking), reduced tillage (RT; spring disking) and no-till (NT). The corn crop received either inorganic (N and K) or organic (liquid dairy manure) fertilizers. Mycorrhizal hyphal density was estimated from soil samples obtained in early spring (before disking), at the 12–14 leaf stage, at silking, and at harvest. The percentage of corn root colonization by AMF at the 12–14 leaf stage, at silking and at harvest was also determined. The sandy loam was sampled over two consecutive seasons and the clay soil over one season.
Densities of total and metabolically active soil hyphae, and mycorrhizal root colonization were significantly lower in CT soil than in RT and NT soil. Lowest soil hyphal densities were observed in early spring. The levels of intra- and extraradical fungal colonization always increased from spring to silking and decreased thereafter. Spring disking had only a small and transient negative effect on hyphal abundance in soil. Fertilization did not influence mycorrhizal colonization of corn or abundance of soil hyphae in the sandy loam soil, but in the clay soil metabolically active hyphae were more abundant with manure application than with mineral fertilization. In 1992, in both soils different tillage systems had same grain yield, however, in 1993, corn yield was higher in NT compared to CT system.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Abbott L K and Robson A D 1991 Factors influencing the occurrence of vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizas. Agric. Ecosyst. Environ. 35, 121-150.
Abbott L K and Robson A D 1982 Infectivity of vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizas in agricultural soil. Aust. J. Agric. Res. 33, 1049- 1059.
Abbott L K, Robson A D and De Boer G 1984 The effects of phosphorus on the formation of hyphae in soil by the vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus, Glomus fasiculatum. New Phytol. 97, 437-446.
Addy HD, Schaffer GF, Miller M H and Peterson R L 1994 Survival of the external mycelium of a VAM fungus in frozen soil over winter. Mycorrhiza 5, 1-5.
Bethlenfalvay G J 1992 Mycorrhizae and crop production. InMycorrhizae in Sustainable Agriculture. Eds. GJ Bethlenfalvay and R G Linderman. pp 1–27. ASA special publication no. 54, Madison, WI.
Blevins R L, Smith M S and Thomas G W 1984 Changes in soil properties under no-tillage. InNo-tillage Agriculture, principles and practices. Eds. R E Phillips and S H Phillips. pp 190-230. Van Nostrand Reinhold Company, New York.
Bolan N S 1991 A critical review on the role of mycorrhizal fungi in the uptake of phosphorus by plant. Plant Soil 134, 189-207.
Brundrett M 1994 Estimation of root length and colonization bymycorrhizal fungi. InPractical Methods in Mycorrhiza Research. Eds. M Brundrett, L Melville and L Peterson. pp 51-59. Mycologue Publications, Guelph, Ontario.
Brundrett MC and Abbott L K 1994 Mycorrhizal fungus propagules in the jarrah forest. I. Seasonal study of inoculum levels. New Phytol. 127, 539-546.
Brundrett M C, Piché Y and Peterson R L 1985 A development study of the early stages in vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhiza formation. Can. J. Bot. 63, 184-194.
Brundrett M C and Kendrick B 1988 The mycorrhizal status, root anatomy, and phenology of plants in a sugar maple forest. Can. J. Bot. 66, 1153-1173.
Bürkert B and Robson A 1994 65Zn uptake in subterranean clover (Trifolium subterraneumL.) by three vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in a root-free sandy soil. Soil Biol. Biochem. 26, 1117-1124.
Douds D D Jr, Janke R R and Peters S E 1993 VAM fungus spore populations and colonization of roots of maize and soybean under conventional and low-input sustainable agriculture. Agric. Ecosyst. Environ. 43, 325-335.
Fairchild G L and Miller M H 1990 Vesicular-arbuscularmycorrhizas and the soil disturbance induced reduction of nutrient absorption in maize. III. Influence of P amendments to soil. New Phytol. 114, 641-650.
Fairchild G L and Miller M H 1988 Vesicular-arbuscularmycorrhizas and the soil disturbance induced reduction of nutrient absorption in maize. II. Development of the effect. New Phytol. 110, 75-84.
Gee G W and Banders J W 1986 Bulk density. InMethods of Soil Analysis. Physical and Minerological Methods. Part I. 2nd ed. Ed. A Klute. pp 364–367. Agronomy Monograph no. 9. American Society of Agronomy, Soil Science Society of America, Madison, WI.
Giovannetti M 1985 Seasonal variation of vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizas and endogonaceous spores in a maritime sand dune. Trans. Br. Mycol. Soc. 84, 679-684.
Giovannetti M and Mosse B 1980 An evaluation of techniques for measuring vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal infection in roots. New Phytol. 84, 489-500.
Hamel C, Neeser C, Bannates-Cartin U and Smith D L 1991 Endomycorrhizal fungal species mediate 15N transfer from soybean to maize in non fumigated soil. Plant Soil 138, 41-47.
Hamel C and Smith D L 1991 Interspecific N-transfer and plant development in a mycorrhizal field-grown mixture. Soil Biol. Biochem. 23, 661-665.
Harinikumar K M and Bagyaraj D J 1989 Effects of cropping sequence, fertilizers and farmyard manure on vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in different crops over three consecutive seasons. Biol. Fertil. Soils 7, 173-175.
Hayman D S 1982 Influence of soils and fertility on activity and survival of vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. Phytopathology 72, 1119-1125.
Hepper C M and Warner N A 1983 Organic matter in growth of a vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in soil. Trans. Br. Mycol. Soc. 81, 155-156.
Jasper D A, Abbott L K and Robson A D 1989a Soil disturbance reduces the infectivity of external hyphae of VA mycorrhizal fungi. New Phytol. 112, 93-99.
Jasper D A, Abbott L K and Robson A D 1989b Hyphae of a vesicular arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus maintain infectivity in dry soil, except when the soil is disturbed. New Phytol. 112, 101-107.
Johansen A, Jakobsen I and Jensen E S 1993 External hyphae of vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi associated with Trifolium subterraneumL. 3. Hyphal transport of 32P and 15N. New Phytol. 124, 61-68.
Kabir Z, O'Halloran I P and Hamel C 1997a The proliferation of soil hyphae associated with mycorrhizal and non-mycorrhizal plants. Mycorrhiza 6 (In press).
Kabir Z, O'Halloran I P and Hamel C 1997b Overwintering of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi is reduced by detachment from corn (Zea maysL.) Roots or from the mycelial web. Mycorrhiza (In press).
Khan A G 1974 The occurrence of mycorrhizas in halophytes, hydrophytes and xerophytes, and endogone spores in adjacent soils. J. Gen. Microbiol. 81, 7-14.
Kucey R M N and Janzen H H 1987 Effects of VAM and reduced nutrients availability on growth and phosphorus and micronutrients uptake ofwheat and field beans under green house conditions. Plant Soil 104, 71-78.
Li X L, George E and Marschner H 1991 Extension of the phosphorus depletion zone in VA-mycorrhizal white clover in a calcarious soil. Plant Soil 136, 41-48.
McGonigle T P, Evans D G and Miller M H 1990 Effect of degree of soil disturbance on mycorrhizal colonization and phosphorus absorption by maize in growth chamber and field experiment. New Phytol. 116, 629-636.
McGonigle T P and Miller MH 1993 Mycorrhizal development and phosphorus absorption in maize under conventional and reduced tillage. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 57, 1002-1006.
McGonigle T P and Miller M H 1996 Development of fungi below ground in association with plants growing in disturbed and undisturbed soils. Soil Biol. Biochem. 28, 263-269.
Mehlich A 1984 Mehlich-III soil test extractant: a modification of Mehlich-II extractant. Commun. Soil Sci. Plant Anal. 15, 1409- 1416.
Miller MH, McGonigle T P and Addy H D 1995 Functional ecology of vesicular arbuscular mycorrhizas as influenced by phosphate fertilization and tillage in an agricultural ecosystem. Cric. Rev. Biotechnol. 15, 241-255.
Miller R M and Jastrow J D 1990 Hierarchy of root and mycorrhizal fungal interactions with soil aggregation. Soil Biol. Biochem. 22, 579-584.
Mosse B 1986 Mycorrhiza in a sustainable agriculture. InRole of Microorganisms in a sustainable Agriculture. Eds. J M Lopez-Real and R H Hodges. pp 105-123. A B Academic publishers, London.
Nelson D W and Sommers L E 1982 Total carbon, organic carbon, and organic matter. InMethods of Soil Analysis, Part II, 2nd ed. Ed. A L Page. pp 570-571. Agronomy Monograph no. 9. American Society of Agronomy, Soil Science Society of America, Madison, WI.
O'Halloran I P, Miller M H and Arnold G 1986 Absorption of P by corn (Zea maysL.) as influenced by soil disturbance. Can. J. Soil Sci. 66, 641-653.
Plenchette C, Fortin J A and Furlan V 1983 Growth responses of several plant species to mycorrhizae in a soil of moderate Pfertility. I. Mycorrhizal dependency under field conditions. Plant Soil 70, 199-209.
Phillips J M and Hayman D S 1970 Improved procedures for cleaning roots and staining parasitic and vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi for rapid assessment of infection. Trans. Br. Mycol. Soc. 55, 157-161.
Read D J, Koucheki H K and Hodgson J 1976 Vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhiza in natural vegetation. systems I. The occurrence of infection. New Phytol. 77, 641-653.
SAS Institute Inc. 1990 SAS/STAT User's Guide, Vol. 2, 4th ed. SAS Institute Inc., Cary, North Carolina.
Schmidt E L 1991 Methods for microbial autoecology in the soil rhizosphere. InThe Rhizosphere and Plant Growth. Eds. D L Keister and D L Cregan. pp 81-89 Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht.
Sheldrick B H and Wang C 1993 Particle size distribution. InSoil Sampling and Methods of Analysis. Ed.MR Carter. pp 499-511. Canadian Society of Soil Science, Lewis Publishers, London.
Steel R G D and Torrie J H 1980 Principles and Procedures of Statistics: A Biometrical Approach. 2nd edn. McGraw-Hill, New York.
St. John T V, Coleman D C and Reid C P P 1983 Growth and spatial distribution of nutrient absorbing organ: selective exploitation of soil heterogeneity. Plant Soil 71, 487-493.
Stürmer S L and Bellei M M 1994 Composition and seasonal variation of spore population of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in dune soils on the island of Santa Catarina, Brazil. Mycol. Res. 98, 453-457.
Sylvia D M 1992 Quantification of external hyphae of vesiculararbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. InMethods in Microbiology 24. Eds. J R Norris, D J Read and A K Varma pp 53-65. Academic Press, London.
Sylvia D M 1988 Activity of external hyphae of vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. Soil Biol. Biochem. 20, 39-40.
Tennant D 1975 A test of a modified line intersect method of estimating root length. J. Ecol. 63, 995–1001.
Zhang F, Hamel C, Kianmehr H and Smith D L 1995 Root-zone temperature and soybean (Glycine max(L.) Merr.) Vesiculararbuscular mycorrhizae: development and interactions with the nitrogen fixing symbiosis. Environ. Exp. Bot. 35, 287-298.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Kabir, Z., O'Halloran, I., Fyles, J. et al. Seasonal changes of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi as affected by tillage practices and fertilization : Hyphal density and mycorrhizal root colonization. Plant and Soil 192, 285–293 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1004205828485
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1004205828485