Chin J Plant Ecol ›› 2010, Vol. 34 ›› Issue (6): 678-686.DOI: 10.3773/j.issn.1005-264x.2010.06.007

• Research Articles • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Rhizospheric soil of seedlings of Elaeagnus mollis colonized by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi

YUAN Li-Huan, YAN Gui-Qin*()   

  1. School of Life Sciences, Shanxi Normal University, Linfen, Shanxi 041004, China
  • Received:2009-11-02 Accepted:2010-01-25 Online:2010-11-02 Published:2010-06-01
  • Contact: YAN Gui-Qin

Abstract:

Aim Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi were inoculated into the seedlings of Elaeagnus mollis, an endangered plant in China. Our objectives were to study the impact of AM fungi inoculation on the soil micro-area in the rhizosphere of E. mollis seedlings using a greenhouse pot experiment.

Methods The experimental design included separate inoculation (Glomus mosseae = GM or Acaulospora delicata = AD) and mixed inoculation (GM + AD); control groups were not inoculated. We determined the infection rate of AM fungi, biomass, infection rate of mycorrhizae, number of microorganisms in the rhizosphere, soil pH, soil enzyme activity, N and P nutrients in the rhizosphere, etc.

Important findings AM fungi infected the three inoculated groups, among which the infection rate of GM + AD was the greatest, up to 90.5%. Compared with the control group, the biomass of inoculated groups improved markedly (p < 0.05) and the biomass of the GM + AD group was 2.2 times that of the CK group. AM mycorrhizae impacted microbial populations on the roots; the number of bacteria, actinomycetes and nitrogen-fixing bacteria on the root surface increased significantly (p < 0.05). The AM mycorrhizae made the pH in the rhizosphere decrease, and this was significantly negatively correlated with the infection rate (p < 0.05). The activity of soil phosphatase, urease and protease in the rhizosphere of inoculated groups increased. Moreover, the increase of their activity was significantly correlated with mycorrhizal infection rate (p < 0.01). The phenomenon that the N and P elements directly absorbed by plants enriched the rhizosphere soil of inoculated groups was significantly correlated with the mycorrhizal infection rate (p < 0.05). AM formation improved the micro-ecological environment of E. mollis seedlings and increased soil fertility in the rhizosphere.

Key words: arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, Elaeagnus mollis, rhizospheric soil, soil enzyme activity, pH, soil nutrient