Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Status of Medicinal Halophytes in Saline Areas of Indian Thar Desert

摘要

A field study of 8 saline districts processing salt lakes and salt basins in arid zones of Rajasthan was undertaken to evaluate the occurrence of three selected halophytic plant species ( Suaeda fruticosa (Linn.) Forsk, Salsola baryosma (Roem. et Schult) Dandy, Haloxylon recurvum (Moq.) Bunge ex Boiss) and Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungal (AMF) associations with them. Five genera were identified in the rhizosphere of these selected plant species. A high diversity of AMF was observed which varied between different host plant species. Among the five genera, Glomus occurred most frequently, with eight species, Acaulospora , Gigaspora and Scutellospora were found with three species, respectively, while Sclerocystis was detected with two species each. Gigaspora margarita , Gigaspora rosea , Glomus deserticola , Glomus ambisporum , Glomus fasciculatum , Glomus mosseae and Scutellospora calospora were the most dominant species. The AMF spore density was not clearly affected by the host plant suggesting that biotic factors may be relatively less important than abiotic/edaphic factors for establishing population pattern. The spore density of AMF had a strong positive correlation with soil pH and organic carbon content and a negative correlation with Olsen's P content of the soil. The association with AMF of these plant species native to the harsh environmental conditions of the Indian Thar Desert may play a significant role in the re-establishment and conservation of these multipurpose halophytic plants.