Effect of physical, chemical and environmental characteristics on arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in Brachiaria decumbens (Stapf) pastures.

AIM

To evaluate the effects of soil physical and chemical factors (pH, conductivity, humidity, available phosphorus and organic matter) and environmental factors (temperature, relative air humidity, altitude and atmospheric pressure) on arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF)-Brachiaria decumbens grass relationship. Furthermore to establish patterns of microbiological responses that allow to differentiate the study sites in two relief types.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Mycorrhizal characteristics (spore density, external hyphae and root colonizations by hyphae, vesicles and arbuscules), physical and chemical factors in soil and environmental factors were measured.

CONCLUSIONS

The effect of physical, chemical and environmental factors on microbiological variables was related to the type of relief 'valley and hilly terrain'; the AMF behaviour was affected only over narrower ranges of evaluated variables. Similarly, the colonization of B. decumbens roots by AMF hyphae, vesicles and the mycorrhizal spore density follow different patterns according to the relief type.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY

The type of relief is one of the factors to be taken into consideration to evaluate the AMF inoculum and root colonization of these pastures, because of the influence of slope - as physical property of soil - on AMF.