Int. J. Adv. Res. Biol. Sci. (2016). 3(10): 193-197 193 International Journal of Advanced Research in Biological Sciences ISSN: 2348-8069 www.ijarbs.com DOI: 10.22192/ijarbs Coden: IJARQG(USA) Volume 3, Issue 10 - 2016 Research Article Investigation on Arbuscular Mycorrhizal colonization on the roots of some members of Fabaceae and selection of suitable hosts for mass multiplication of VAM Abhinanda Ghosh and Sikha Dutta* Department of Botany (CAS), The University of Burdwan, Burdwan-713104, West Bengal, India. *Corresponding author: Dr. Sikha Dutta E-mail- sikha.bu.academia@gmail.com Abstract Leguminous plants are the very good hosts of both the root symbionts viz. vesicular arbuscular mycorrhizal (VAM) fungi as well as rhizobium bacteria and exhibit a very good deal of tri-partite symbiotic relationship. Thus, leguminous plants may well be served as exceptionally good host resource for mass multiplication of AM fungi. Keeping this view in mind, in this present investigation, 30 species of leguminous plants were studied to determine the colonization frequency of VAM fungi in their roots and rhizospheric soil. It was observed that all the 30 plant species were colonized by VAM fungi. Though there appeared a significant variation in root colonization (%). Among all the plants studied, Arachis hypogea showed highest percentage of colonization (94%) by VAM and the lowest colonization frequency was recorded in Desmodium gangeticum (10%). In legumes, mycorrhizal fungi and nitrogen fixing bacteria are the beneficial components of which contribute to plant growth, provide nutrients (N, P, K & others), inhibit phyto-pathogens and improve drought tolerance. Thus, the legumes with high to very high level of VAM colonization can be used as very efficient biological tool for mass multiplication of AM fungi as well as for restoration of degraded lands. Keywords: Legumes, roots, vesicles, arbuscules, colonization. 1. Introduction Mycorrhiza is the symbiotic association between soil born fungi with plant roots. In this association both organisms are benefited. The vesicular arbuscular mycorrhizae are ubiquitous in roots of vascular plants in nature (Harley and Smith 1983, Powel and Bagyaraj 1986; Gabor 1992). Vesicular arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis (Walker, Verma and Hock, 1995) is one of the most common and this symbiotic association occurs more than 80% of flowering plant species (Harley, J.L. and Smith, 1983). Fabaceae is one of the most important family of VAM association in dicots. In fabaceae, mycorrhizal fungi and nitrogen fixing bacteria are the two most important beneficial component of soil myco-rhizosphere, which contribute to plant growth and survival by reducing stresses through symbiosis (Sylvia and Williams 1992). The VAM fungi help the plants in uptake of P, N, Zn, K, Cu, S, and Other mineral elements (Powel and Bagyaraj, 1984). The benefit of VAM fungi is due to an increased zone of nutrient depletion by mycorrhizal roots as compared to non-mycorrhizal ones (Owuse, Bennoach and Wild, 1979). VAM association increased the establishment, nodulation, development of phosphate solubilizing bacteria in rhizospheric soil and atmospheric nitrogen fixation capacity in legumes. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.22192/ijarbs.2016.03.10.026