Biodiversity of Vesicular Arbuscular Mycorrhiza Associated with Catharanthus roseus, Ocimum spp. and Asparagus racemosus in Uttarakhand State of Indian Central Himalaya

摘要

This study deals in bio-diversity of Vesicular Arbuscular Mycorrhiza (VAM) associated with prominent medicinal plants i.e., Catharanthus roseus, Ocimum species and Asparagus racemosus in Central Himalayan region of India. Soil samples were collected from 104 locations spread at different altitudes and climatic conditions. The samples were regularly collected and observed at regular time intervals for a period of three years. In total 16 species of VAM were detected from these three medicinal plants.Approximately more than 50% of total species were identified as species of Glomus. It was observed that in Catharanthus roseus, Glomus species were dominantly present. Glomus aggregation, Glomus fasciculatum, Glomus geosporum, Glomus mosseae, Gigaspora margarita, Gigaspora rosea, Sclerocystis sinuosa and Acaulospora laevis were found in Ocimum species. Among all the observed species of Ocimum, Glomus aggregatum and Glomus fasciculatum were predominantly present. In Asparagus racemosus, various species such as Glomus etunicatum, Glomus coranatum, Glomus mosseae, Glomus fasciculatum, Gigaspora gigantea, Gigaspora margarita, Sclerocystis sinuosa and Acaulospora scrobiculata were observed. Interestingly, species of Acaulospora and Sclerocystis were isolated from different soil types of Uttarakhand region but were never recorded as a dominant species. The study reflected a trend indicating decrease in the richness and diversity of vesicular arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi with the increasing altitude. VAM fungal spores were primarily isolated as chlamydospores and few as sporocarps. The isolated number of spores varied in count from 70 to 178 per 10 g of soil. VAM spores were found in higher abundance from sandy loam soils followed by clay and loam soils. The percentage of root colonization levels ranged 58.22-65.43,76.88- 95 and 57.21- 63.32 for medicinal plants Catharanthus roseus, Ocimum spp. and Asparagus racemosus, respectively.