Indian Journal of Plant Physiology

Acacia mangium is a fast growing leguminous tree having multipurpose uses, grows in nutrient poor degraded soil. The timber is used for furniture, agricultural implements, as fuel wood, in manufacturing charcoal and activated carbon. Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) association plays an unique role in nutrient uptake, specially phosphate and other less mobile nutrients in nutrient poor soils. Three indigenous and one introduced (Glomus mosseae) AM fungi were inoculated with A. mangium in a P-deficient red lateritic soil and growth and physiological parameters were recorded. Treatment with AM increased shoot height (59% to 112.5%); leaf area (131.7% to 168.3%); biomass (104.8% to 132.1%); chlorophyll content (40% to 60%) and insoluble carbohydrate (33% to 52%) over control. NPK content were also increased significantly. Root colonisation by AMF ranged from 50% to 65%. One indigenous AM species Paraglomus occultum was observed most efficient followed by Acaulospora delicata and Glomus moseae. This experiment reveals that arbuscular mycorrhizae has large applied value with adequate and efficient AMF inoculum and has potential to replace the need of fertilizer application in afforestation in poor soils.