Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungal Diversity of Selected Medicinal Plants in and Immediate Surrounding Environment of Acharya Nagarjuna University

Abstract

A study of medicinal plants was carried out in Acharya Nagarjuna University and its surrounding environment. Altogether 155 species belonging to 66 families were identified and their uses have been described giving their vernacular name, Telugu (Local name). The Family and Botanical name of species followed by local name and their uses. 33 medicinal plant species belonging to 20 families were surveyed to study Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungal diversity. A total of 19 medicinal plant species were found of having high and 14 plant species showed low AM fungal colonization. All the studied plants were colonized by AM fun-gi having colonization levels ranging from 6% to 72.6% of root length. The spore numbers in the soil ranged between 9 to 215 spores/100gm of soil. AM fungal species belonging to four genera viz., Glomus, Acaulospora, Scutellospora and Gigaspora were recovered from the rhizosphere soil. Glomus was found to be the most dominant genera in the study sites, and Glomus fascicula-tum the most dominant AM fungal species.