Premium
Comparison of Two Methods for Quantifying Extraradical Mycelium of Vesicular‐Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi
Author(s) -
Bethlenfalvay Gabor J.,
Ames Robert N.
Publication year - 1987
Publication title -
soil science society of america journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.836
H-Index - 168
eISSN - 1435-0661
pISSN - 0361-5995
DOI - 10.2136/sssaj1987.03615995005100030049x
Subject(s) - hypha , mycelium , biology , mycorrhiza , fungus , glomus , botany , arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi , biomass (ecology) , chitin , symbiosis , agronomy , horticulture , spore , bacteria , inoculation , biochemistry , genetics , chitosan
Extraradical mycelium of Glomus mosseae (Nicol. & Gerd) Gerd. and Trappe, a vesicular‐arbuscular mycorrhizal (VAM) fungus, was assessed by two quantitative methods using subsamples of the same soil. Fungal biomass was determined by a chitin assay and the length of fungal hyphae in the soil was obtained by direct microscopic measurements. Total hyphal length, including hyphae <5 µm in diameter, was not correlated ( P > 0.05) with total soil chitin; however, the length of hyphae ≥ 5µm in diameter correlated significantly ( P < 0.01) with VAM‐fungal biomass. There is a strong relationship between these methods for the determination of the extraradical VAM‐fungal mycelium. The two methods permit the calculation of a “specific mass' (µg/m) for VAM‐fungal hyphae. Considerations for using either method to quantify extraradical VAM‐fungal mycelium are discussed.