MANAGEMENT OF ARBUSCULAR MYCORRHIZAL FUNGI BY GROWING PETUNIA HYBRIDA (L.) MILL. AS AN ORNAMENTAL PLANT IN SAUDI ARABIA - A CASE STUDY
ALGHAMDI, A. AL-QARAWI, M.A.U. MRIDHA, P.P. DHAR AND O.M. . 2014
Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) regarded as ubiquitous soil fungi which help in improving plant growth under
harsh conditions. Petunia hybrida is one of the most favorite ornamental plants growing all over the Riyadh city of Saudi
Arabia. In the present study, we would like to highlight the Petunia as a mycotrophic plant for the management of
mycorrhizal fungi under field conditions. Roots along with rhizosphere soils of P. hybrida were collected from various
sites in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia to study AM colonization and biodiversity of AMF. The data obtained in this study indicated
that P. hybrida is a very highly mycotrophic plants, and all the samples produced very high colonization with mycelium,
vesicles, coiled hyphae and arbuscules. The significant variation was found with the occurrence of mycelium and vesicles
among the locations but in case of arbuscules more or less same range of occurrence was found. Only different species of
Glomus were observed in all the locations. Glomus showed diversity in all the locations as indicated by the Shanon Diversity
Index. As the P. hybrida is a highly mycotrophic plant, so this plant may be grown under harsh condition of Saudi Arabia to
manage the plant growth under different stresses viz., water stress, saline soils and heavy metal toxicity conditions.
Funneliformis mosseae (=Glomus mosseae) is one of the most important arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF),
widely distributed throughout the world and associated with plants of different…
Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) regarded as ubiquitous soil fungi which help in improving plant growth under
harsh conditions. Petunia hybrida is one of the most favorite ornamental…