Summary
A difference in biomass production between plants grown in autoclaved soil and non-autoclaved soil under N and base (Ca + Mg) treatments was probably caused by soil microbes other than vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. The plants were grown for 70 days in autoclaved soil, autoclaved soil with a vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal-free filtrate of non-autoclaved soil added, and non-autoclaved soil. The plants in each substrate received additional N, P, or Ca + Mg (base treatment) weekly. Control plants received no additional nutrients. The plant response to various substrates was a function of nutrient treatment. Colonization of roots by vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in non-autoclaved soil was lowest with the N and P treatments. There were significant negative correlations between vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal colonization and all plant growth variates. For all nutrient treatments, there were no differences in total biomass between plants grown in non-autoclaved soil and in the autoclaved-plus-filtrate substrate.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Ames RN, Porter KL, St John TV, Reid CP (1984) Nitrogen sources and ‘A’ values for vesicular-arbuscular and non-mycorrhizal sorghum grown at three rates of 15N-ammonium sulphate. New Phytol 97:269–276
Ames RN, Mihara KL, Bethlenfalvay GJ (1987) The establishment of microorganisms in vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal and control treatments. Biol Fertil Soils 3:217–223
Anderson RC, Liberta AE, Dickman LA (1984) Interaction of vascular plants and vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi across a soil moisture-nutrient gradient. Oecologia (Berlin) 65:111–117
Anderson RC, Ebbers BC, Liberta AE (1986) Soil moisture influences colonization of prairie cordgrass (Spartina pectinata Lind.) by vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. New Phytol 102:523–527
Auge R, Schekel K, Wample R (1986) Greater leaf conductance of well-watered VA mycorrhizal rose plants is not related to phosphorus nutrition. New Phytol 103:107–116
Azcon-Aguilar C, Barea JM (1985) Effect of soil micro-organisms on formation of vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizas. Trans Br Mycol Soc 84:536–537
Baylis G (1970) Root hairs and phycomycetous mycorrhizas in phosphorus-deficient soil. Plant Soil 33:713–716
Black R, Tinker PB (1979) The development of endomycorrhizal root systems: II. Effect of agronomic factors and soil conditions on the development of vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal infection in barley and on the endophyte spore density. New Phytol 83:401–413
Buwalda JG, Goh HK (1982) Host fungus competition for carbon as a cause of growth depression in vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal grass. Soil Biol Biochem 14:103–106
Crush JR (1976) Endomycorrhizas and legume growth in some soils of Mackenzie Basin, Canterbury, New Zealand. NZ J Agric Res 19:473–476
Dickman LA, Liberta AE, Anderson RC (1984) Ecological interaction of little bluestem and vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. Can J Bot 62:2272–2277
Douds DD, Chaney WR (1982) Correlation of fungal morphology and development to host growth in a green ash mycorrhiza. New Phytol 92:519–526
Douds DD, Chaney WR (1986) The effect of high nutrient addition upon seasonal patterns of mycorrhizal development, host growth, and root phosphorus and carbohydrate content in Fraxinus pennsylvanica Marsh. New Phytol 103:91–106
Fitter AH (1977) Influence of mycorrhizal infection on competition for phosphorus and potassium by two grasses. New Phytol 79:119–125
Fitter AH (1986) Effect of benomyl on leaf phosphorus concentration in alpine grasslands: A test of mycorrhizal benefit. New Phytol 103:767–776
Giovannetti M, Mosse B (1980) An evaluation of techniques for measuring vesicular arbuscular mycorrhizal infection in roots. New Phytol 84:489–500
Hall IR, Johnstone PD, Dolby R (1984) Interactions between endomycorrhizas and soil nitrogen and phosphorus on the growth of ryegrass. New Phytol 97:447–453
Hayman DS (1974) Plant growth responses to vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhiza: VI. Effect of light and temperature. New Phytol 73:71–80
Hayman DS (1975) The occurrrence of mycorrhiza in crops as affected by soil fertility. In: Sanders FE, Mosse B, Tinker PB (eds) Endomycorrhizas. Academic Press, London, pp 495–510
Hayman DS (1983) The physiology of vesicular-arbuscular endomycorrhizal symbiosis. Can J Bot 61:944–963
Hays RC, Reid CP, St John TV, Coleman DC (1982) Effects of nitrogen and phosphorus on blue grama growth and mycorrhizal infection. Oecologia (Berlin) 54:260–265
Hetrick BAD, Kitt DG, Wilson GT (1986) The influence of phosphorus fertilization, drought, fungal species, and nonsterile soil on mycorrhizal growth response in tall grass prairie plants. Can J Bot 64:1199–1203
Hetrick BAD, Kitt DG, Wilson GT (1987) Effects of drought stress on growth response in corn, sudan grass, and big bluestem to Glomus etunicatum. New Phytol 105:403–410
Jakobsen I, Andersen AJ (1982) Vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhiza and growth in barley: Effect of irradiation and heating of soil. Soil Biol Biochem 14:171–178
Kemp CD (1960) Methods of estimating the leaf area of grass from linear measurements. Ann Bot NJ 24:491–499
Phillips JM, Hayman DS (1970) Improved procedures for clearing roots and staining parasitic and VAM fungi for rapid assessment of infection. Trans Br Mycol Soc 55:158–161
Powell CL (1975) Plant growth responses to vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhiza. New Phytol 75:563–566
Ridge EH (1976) Studies on soil fumigation: II. Effects on bacteria. Soil Biol Biochem 8:249–253
Safir GR, Duniway JM (1982) Evaluation of plant response to colonization by vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. In: Schenk NC (ed) Method and principles of mycorrhizal research. Am Phytopathol Soc, Minn pp 77–80
SPSS, Inc (1983) SPSSX user's guide. McGraw-Hill, New York, p 806
Wallace L (1987) Mycorrhizas in grasslands: Interactions of ungulates, fungi and drought. New Phytol 105:619–632
Warcup JH (1957) Chemical and biological aspects of soil sterilization. Soils Fertil 20:1–5
Warner A, Mosse B (1982) Factors affecting the spread of vesicular mycorrhizal fungi in soil. New Phytol 90:529–536
Wuenscher ML, Gerloff GC (1971) Growth of Andropogon scoparius (little bluestem) in phosphorus deficient soils. New Phytol 70:1035–1042
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Seo, H.A., Anderson, R.C. & Liberta, A.E. Influence of varied soil microbial and inorganic nutrient conditions on the growth and vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal colonization of little bluestem [Schizachyrium scoparium (Michx.) Nash]. Biol Fert Soils 6, 336–340 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00261023
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00261023