Assessment of mycorrhizal association of a threatened medicinal plant Clerodendrum indicum (L.) O. Kuntze (Verbenaceae) in different ecological variations
Authors
Prashanta Mitra
Plant and Microbial Physiology and Biochemistry Laboratory, Department of Botany, University of Gour Banga, P.O. Mokdumpur, Malda, W.B. 732103 India
Rajsekhar Adhikary
Plant and Microbial Physiology and Biochemistry Laboratory, Department of Botany, University of Gour Banga, P.O. Mokdumpur, Malda, W.B. 732103 India
Prithwish Mandal
Department of Botany, Kaliachak College, Malda, W.B. 732 103 India
Ashutosh Kundu
Plant and Microbial Physiology and Biochemistry Laboratory, Department of Botany, University of Gour Banga, P.O. Mokdumpur, Malda, W.B. 732103 India
Vivekananda Mandal
Plant and Microbial Physiology and Biochemistry Laboratory, Department of Botany, University of Gour Banga, P.O. Mokdumpur, Malda, W.B. 732103 India
Mycorrhizae association is reported to enhance the survivability of the host plant under adverse environmental conditions. The present study aims to explore the mycorrhizal association in the roots of different ecotypes of a threatened medicinal plant, Clerodendrum indicum (L.) O. Kuntze (Verbenaceae), collected from W.B., India, which correlates the degree of root colonization to the nutritional status of the native soil. Ten ecotypes of C. indicum having diverse morphological variations were collected. The mycorrhizae were characterized by both morphological and molecular methods. The nutritional status of the native soils was estimated. The study revealed that all the ecotypes have an association with mycorrhizal forms like hyphae, arbuscules, and vesicles. The molecular analysis showed Glomus intraradices and Rhizophagus irregularis as the associated arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). A significant variation in arbuscule and vesicle formation was found growing in the varied nutritional statuses concerning soil parameters. The arbuscule was found negatively correlated with pH, conductivity, and potassium and positively correlated with organic carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus. The vesicle was found positively correlated with pH, organic carbon, and potassium and negatively correlated with conductivity, nitrogen, and phosphorus. The interaction between conductivity: nitrogen, conductivity: phosphorus, organic-carbon: nitrogen, and pH: conductivity was significant in influencing vesicle formation. However, none of the interactions between parameters was found significant in influencing arbuscule formation. Thus, the study concludes that G. intraradices and R. irregularis are the principle mycorrhizae forming the symbiotic association with the threatened medicinal plant, C. indicum. They form vesicles and arbuscules based on their soil nutritive factors. Therefore, a large-scale propagation through a selective AMF association would help in the conservation of this threatened species from extinction.
Supplementary Information
The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s42770-022-00805-2.
Keywords: Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, Glomus intraradices, Rhizophagus irregularis, Soil nutritional content
Author Biography
Prashanta Mitra, Plant and Microbial Physiology and Biochemistry Laboratory, Department of Botany, University of Gour Banga, P.O. Mokdumpur, Malda, W.B. 732103 India
Department of Botany, University of Kalyani, Nadia, W.B. 741235 India
Click on "Archives" to access the full archive of scientific preprints. You may use the categories and the search functionality to find select preprints you're interested in.
