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An improved method for assessing soil-fungus population density

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Summary

A rapid method for determining soil fungal populations is described. A 25-g equivalent of oven-dry soil, in 225 ml of water in a 500-ml aspirator bottle, is agitated on a magnetic stirrer and samples withdrawn with a syringe while the suspension is in motion. Individual drops are placed in petri dishes and mixed with a suitable culture medium. The average weight of soil per drop is determined and colony counts related to dry weight of soil as usual. This syringe method is simple, eliminates much of the error common in serial dilution and pipetting, and allows for a high degree of reproducibility and possible standardization.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Auburn University, Alabama, USA

    R. Rodriguez-Kabana

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  1. R. Rodriguez-Kabana
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Rodriguez-Kabana, R. An improved method for assessing soil-fungus population density. Plant Soil 26, 393–396 (1967). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01880191

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01880191

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