STATUS OF VAMF-INFECTIONS AND SPORES IN AN AFFORESTED COALMINE OVERBURDEN DUMPS -A CASE STUDY FROM JHARIA COALFIELD, JHARKHAND

摘要

The aims of the present investigations were to study the vesicular arbuscular mycorrhiza (VAM) spore density in the rhizosphere of host plants and intensity of root infection in the plants growing in an afforested Overburden (OB) dump. The study revealed that all five species of VAM fungi were present in revegetated OB dumps. Those species are: Glomus, Gigospora, Acaulospora, Enterophospora, and Sclerocystis. Glomus is the most predominant genus found in the mining area. The density of VAM spore was found maximum in mining area in the range of 595 spores/5g than non-mining area (308 spores/5g of soil). Nine commonly growing plants were studied, namely: Azadiracta indica, Cassia seamea, Alstonia scholaris, Melia azadirachta, Techtona grandis, Acacia auriculoformis, Prosopis juliflora, Dalburgia sissoo and Eucalytus . The spore density in rhizosphere of nine host plant was found in the range of 425 to 600 spores/5g of soil. The intensity root infection was studied for all nine plants. Maximum infections was recorded in D. sissoo (99%) followed by Prosopis juliflora (95%), A. auriculiformis and Tectona grandis (93%), Melia azadarech (83%), Alstonia scholaris (78%), Polyalthia (66%), Cassia seamea (44%) and Azadirachta indica (35%), Eucalyptus (0%). The study concluded that these host plants having higher-root infections are suitable for the biological reclamation of OB dumps. The occurrence of VAM spores in coal mine OB dumps are found to be double than non-mining areas due to higher disturbance.