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BIOTECHNOLOGY OF VA MYCORRHIZZA: INDIAN SCENARIO

Sudhir Chandra, H.K.Kehri
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  • Imprint:

    NIPA

  • eISBN:

    9789389547429

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    EBook

  • Number Of Pages:

    426

  • Language:

    English

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knowledge on mycorrhiza-plant relationship has grown somewhat with slow pace until about 1970 when there was a sudden upsurge of interest on a specialized type of endomycorrhiza-vesicular arbuscular mycorrhiza (VA Mycorrhiza). The prodigious research made during last three decades clearly established its widespread occurrence in various plant species and under different agro-climatic conditions covering broad ecological range including deserts, forest and mangroves. It was also established that this symbiotic association benefits the plants through enhanced nutrient uptake, biological control of root pathogens, and synergistic interaction with nitrogen fixing microorganisms, hormone production and drought resistance. In view of its utility to plants, this bio-tool has now attracted the attention of microbiologist. agronomist, horticulturist and foresters at global level.

0 Start Pages

Preface Because of the advantage of their universal presence, minute size and astonishingly rich physiological qualities, microbes play the key role in maintaining the biological equilibrium on earth and in their absence; life on the planet will be extinct. Different forms of interrelationship between plants and microbes have developed over million of years. On the extreme end, destruction of one by the other takes place. On the other hand, in the struggle for existence between the two efficient opponents, various forms of symbiotic relationships have emerged. The possible beneficial role of a symbiotic association between plant roots and fungi was brought out for the first time in 1842 by Vittadini and the name “Mycorrhiza” was given to it by Frank in 1885. Since then our knowledge on mycorrhiza-plant relationship has grown somewhat with slow pace until about 1970 when there was a sudden upsurge of interest on a specialized type of endomycorrhiza-vesicular arbuscular mycorrhiza (VA Mycorrhiza). The prodigious research made during last three decades clearly established its widespread occurrence in various plant species and under different agroclimatic conditions covering broad ecological range including deserts, forests and mangroves. It was also established that this symbiotic association benefits the plants through enhanced nutrient uptake, biological control of root pathogens, and synergistic interaction with nitrogen fixing microorganisms, hormone production and drought resistance. In view of its utility to plants, this biotool has now attracted the attention of microbiologists, agronomists, horticulturists and foresters at the global level. Microbiologists, plant pathologists, ecologists, biochemists and biotechnologists of the country have been involved in the researches on VA mycorrhiza and have gathered valuable information on the exploitation of this biotool for the welfare of the plant communities. However, no effort has been made to bring all such informations together. In view of this, we made a proposal to the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India, expressing our desire to take up this task. Our proposal was readily accepted for full support and assistance. The present volume “Researches on VA Mycorrhiza in India: Current Status and Future Prospects” is the outcome of our proposal. We have taken utmost care to include all the relevant informations in the volume; however, any left over information should be taken as a slip on our part for which we express our sincere regret.

 
1 VA MYCORRHIZA : RESUME

Mycorrhiza research is relatively recent. Although, it was in 1885 that A.B. Frank made reference for the first time to the term “Mycorrhiza”, it took him nine more years to establish the symbiotic relationship between the fungus and its host plant. It took a much longer time to convince the rest of the scientific community of the validity of Frank’s theory. Researches carried out between 1917 to 1950 confirmed that “Mycorrhizal colonization is a beneficial symbiosis between tree and fungus”. It is an unique partnership in nature, where the higher plants share their photosynthates with their fungal partners and provide them shelter, the fungal partners in return provide protection to the root system and assist it in performing its functions especially anchorage and absorption of nutrients / water from soil more efficiently. The ectomycorrhizal fungi have been in use as a biological tool in improving the performance of forest trees since long. Better performance of forest trees is ensured by making them mycorrhizal, employing efficient strains of ectomycorrhizal fungi.

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2 VA MYCORRHIZA : DISTRIBUTION

VAM fungi are of worldwide distribution. They are present in the soil in form of chlamydospores, zygospores and azygospores and have been recovered from the soils of a variety of habitats e.g. agricultural fields, nutrient deficient soils, sand dunes and deserts, industrial wastes, sodic soils, polluted sites, sewage, eroded sites and others like forests, open woodlands, scrub, savana, heaths, grasslands, anthracite and bituminous coal wastes. There are several reports of VAM fungi from diverse habitats from India. VA-mycorrhizal associations occur widely throughout the plant kingdom. They have  been reported to be present in Bryophytes, Pteridophytes, Gymnosperms and Angiosperms in nearly all the geographical regions of the world. Most of the agricultural and horticultural crops belonging to diverse families have been shown to form VA-mycorrhizae. Many species of plants of economically important families have been reported to be mycorrhizal. Likewise, many of the plantation crops like coffee, tea, citrus, timber trees, many of the fruit trees and medicinal plants have been shown to form VA-mycorrhiza.

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3 EFFECT OF VA MYCORRHIZA ON GROWTH

In recent years the importance of VAM fungi for plant growth in most soils has been accepted and acknowledged by soil chemists, agronomists, horticulturists and farmers. Ever since it was shown that VAM could increase nutrient uptake and water uptake from soil in plants, researchers have been trying to extend and manipulate this effect of mycorrhiza in improving the growth and productivity in various groups of plants. Mycorrhizasts of the country have also explored the possibility of utilizing this tool for improving the performance of various crops including cereals, millets, pulses, vegetables, oilseeds and fruit crops. In addition, they have tried to explore the possibility of utilizing this biotool also for improving the growth of various types of trees including forest trees. Following account is related to the work done by the mycorrhizasts of the country on the effect of VA mycorrhiza on the growth and productivity of various groups of plants including cultivated crops.

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4 VA MYCORRHIZA : PHYSIOLOGY

Favourable effect of VAM association in plants has been attributed to an increased nutrient uptake by mycorrhizal roots. The transfer of ion from the soil to the roots by mass flow or by diffusion depends on the mobility of that particular ion in the soil. Ions such as NO3- ,SO 4— and Ca++ may move rapidly through the soil to the roots by mass flow, and uptake would be limited by the absorbing capacity of the roots. On the other hand, ions such as H2PO4-, NH4+, Zn++ and Cu++ are poorly mobile and move to the roots by diffusion, the rate limiting steps is likely to be the movement to the root surface. Under such conditions, it is expected that uptake would be increased if ions could be moved rapidly through extramatrical hyphae of the VAM fungi rather than diffusing slowly through the soil. It is now well established that VA mycorrhizae enhance the uptake of phosphate by the roots but it is likely that they can also assist in the uptake of other ions. The following account provides an information on the findings of Indian mycorrhizasts on the effects of VA mycorrhizal association on nutrient uptake in the plants and its physiological implications.

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5 VA MYCORRHIZA VS OTHER MICROBES

Of the various microorganisms present in and around roots, VAM fungi occupy unique ecological position as they are partly inside and partly outside the host. Their internal phase encounters competition and antagonism from other beneficial symbiotic microbes while their external phase faces competition and antagonism from beneficial non-symbiotic microbes present around the roots. Since they have an ensured source of nutrients from the host, they have comparatively better conditions for their growth and may exert greater effect on plants with other symbiotic and non-symbiotic microbes in and around their roots. It has been pointed out that investigations are needed on the interactions between VAM fungi and these beneficial microbes, and their effect on growth and productivity in plants. A bulk of information has been collected related to this aspect; however, authentic generalization has not been possible as yet. Following description gives an account of the work done by Indian mycorrhizasts on the interactions between VAM fungi and other beneficial symbiotic/non-symbiotic microbes in and around the roots.

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6 FACTORS AFFECTING VA MYCORRHIZA

Factors which influence the colonization and life cycle of VAM fungi have important bearing on the extent to which they may benefit their host. As we move closer to using mycorrhizal fungi to increase growth and productivity of different plant communities, a thorough understanding of the factors which influence their survival, germination, root colonization an d sporulation will be critical. Seasons, physico-chemical characters of the soil, agronomic practices, plant protection chemicals, pollutants and genotypic characters of the host may affect VAM fungi and their potentiality to colonize and provide benefit to the host. In view of this, the effect of such factors on the VA mycorrhizal symbiosis and its benefit to diverse plant communities has been extensively investigated worldover.

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7 VA MYCORRHIZA AS BIOCONTROL AGENT

Extensive studies have been carried out to explore the possibility of using mycorrhizal model system in inducing suppressions of potential soil-borne pathogens. Its relevance becomes all the more important since most of the soil-borne diseases, by and large, are not easily controlled by conventional methods. Diseases due to Fungal Pathogens Most of the studies conducted on the interaction of VAM fungi and fungal pathogens suggest that mycorrhizae decrease the severity of disease, while a few studies suggest that there is either no effect or there is an increase in the severity of disease. It has been pointed out that in view of the fact that VAM fungi deter the severity of disease they may be used as biocontrol agents. Various mechanisms by which VAM could suppress the fungal pathogens have been suggested on the basis of experimental evidences.

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8 VA MYCORRHIZA IN WASTELAND DEVELOPMENT

During the last thirty years, there has been a growing appreciation of the impor tance of VAM fungi in improving the plant growth and yield. They have been extensively studied also in India. Considering the potential importance of these organisms in the recovery of disturbed sites and their possible use in land reclamation, researches regarding their relationship to ecosystem recovery have now been initiated also in India. Large areas of land in the country called wastelands are degraded and lying unutilized due to various constraints. Part of it called culturable, has the potential for the development of vegetation cover. On the other hand, part of it called unculturable, has no potential for the development of vegetation cover. In addition to these natural wastelands, there are large tracts of wastelands created due to human activities such as mining, deforestation etc. Such wastelands are also culturable and a vegetation cover can be developed on them after removing the constraints with some efforts.

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9 VA MYCORRHIZA INOCULUM PRODUCTION

Since a method to cultivate VAM fungi in pure culture is not available as yet, clean and high quality VAM inoculum production is not possible. However, VAM technology is gradually getting a place in agriculture as well as reclamation and afforestation programmes. The inoculum currently being used includes infested fields soils, sievings from such soils, soil and roots of greenhouse plants, or pot culture inoculum derived from surface disinfected spores of a single VAM fungus on a host plant grown in a sterilized growth medium. Attempts are being made to manipulate VAM fungi, rooting media, hosts and fertilizers in order to secure superior quality of inoculum by these methods on a large scale. In addition, other techniques like tissue culture, hydroponic system etc. are also being attempted to cultivate VAM fungi in pure culture. The Indian mycorrhizasts have also attempted to devise and develop improved methods for production and storage of commercial VAM inoculum. The following description gives an account of Indian work related to production and storage of consistently high quality disease free VAM inoculum.

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10 Miscellany

The understanding of VAM symbiont and VAM symbiosis is of prime importance in manipulating VAM associations for the welfare of plants. Many contributions have been made worldover in the areas of taxonomy, morphology, anatomy, histology, cytology and genetics of VAM fungi and/or their associations with the plants. However, the share of Indian mycorrhizasts in such contributions is negligible. The following description gives an account of work done by the mycorrhizasts of the country in these areas.

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11 FUTURE PROSPECTS AND STRATEGIES

Current status of researches on VA mycorrhiza and their benefits to the plants carried out by the mycorrhizasts of the country has been described in detail in chapters II to X. Prior to the establishment of any specific forum, the pace of research on VA mycorrhiza in the country was not of desired level. However, the activities related to research on VA mycorrhiza gained unexpected momemtum when Mycorrhiza network came into exixtence in the year 1989. The network provided not only assistance and guidance of various types to the scientists working on VA mycorrhiza in the country but also offered them periodical platforms to exchange their informations and thoughts on status of researches on VA mycorrhiza and to propose future strategies of research. During the National conferences held in different parts of the country the panel of experts made certain observations regarding future prospects and strategies for research on VA mycorrhiza. They have been mentioned in the present chapter.

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12 End Pages

REFERENCES Abbott, L.K. 1982. Comparative anatomy of vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizas formed on subterranean clover. Australian Journal Botany. 30 : 485-500. Abbott, L.K. and Robson, A.D. (1984). Colonization of the root system of subterranean clover by three species of vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. New Phytologist. 96: 275-281.  Abbott, L.K. and Robson, A.D. (1991). Field management of VA mycorrhizal fungi. Belsville Symposia in Agricultural Research. 14: 355-362. Abdel-Fatiah, G. M. and Mohamedin, A. H. (2000). Interactions between a vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus (Glomus intraradices) and Streptomyces coelicolor and their effects on sorghum plants grown in soil amended with chitin of brawn scales. Biology and Fertility of Soils 32 (5): 401-409.  Abhijeet, K., Halbe, S. and Nair, L.N. (1997). VAM of Casuarina from Konkan. In: Microbial Biotechnology. (Eds. S.M. Reddy, H.P. Srivastava, D.K. Purohit and S. Ram Reddy) Jodhpur University, Jodhpur : 64-66. Addy, H.D., Schaffer, G.F., Miller, M.H. and Peterson, R.L. (1994). Survival of the external mycelium of a VAM fungus in frozen soil overwinter. Mycorrhiza. 5(1): 1-5. Adholeya, A. and Cheema, G.S. (1990). Evaluation of VA mycorrhizal inoculation in micropropagated Populus deltoides Marsh clones. Current Science. 59(23):1244-1247. Adholeya, A. and Khanna, S. (1990). Sporulation in Glomus mosseae under in vitro conditions. In: Current Trends in Mycorrhizal Research (Eds. B.L.Jalali and H. Chand), H.A.U. Hissar: 53-54

 
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