Journal of Taiwan Agricultural Research

Author:Ming-Fuh Chuang and Yung-Hsiung Cheng

Abstract:

    Sand is a good medium for inoculum production of vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, because of its high aeration and lower fertility, but it has poor water-conserved and buffering ability. In contrast, peat moss has high water-conserved ability, so we try to amend sand with peat moss to improve initial growth of host plants, and to increase colonization and spore of VAM fungi. Effect of 10% peat moss mulched or mixed with sand on colonization and spore production of G. mosseae are tested in four host plants of bahiagrass, intortum, corn, and sweet potato. Results indicated sand mixed with peat moss is better than those mulched with peat moss. Then, the effects of sand mixed with peat moss in ratio of 1/5, 1/3, 1/2 on propagation of G. mosseae in rhizospheric soil of bahiagrass were conducted. Results indicated that the amendment of peat moss in sand could improve initial growth of host plants, but colonization or spore production was the highest in treatment without peat moss amendment. When amended volume of peat moss was over 1/4, there was no spore in rhizospheric soil at 14 weeks after inoculation. Periodic investigation were conducted to monitor propagation of G. mosseae in the rhizosphere of corn, and results indicated that root colonization and spore production in soil gradually increased, and reached the highest at 11 weeks after inoculation, and then decreased. The results showed that spore production was the highest in sand without any amendment. Peat moss was not beneficial to colonization and spore production, if amended with sand.

Key words:Peat moss, Pot culture, Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi

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