Preliminary investigations into VAM colonization of plant species found growing in abandoned tailing pond

Abstract

Mycorrhizal infection was assessed in 20 plant species belonging to 20 genera and distributed among 15 families found growing in abandoned tailing pond of iron ore mines in Goa. All the plant species showed mycorrhizal infection that ranged from 5-53 percent Alternanthera sessilis (Amaranthsceae) showed least mycorrhizal infection (5 percent), while maximum mycorrhizal infection (99 percent) was recorded in Biumea wightiana (Asteraceae). Plants exhibiting mycorrhizal infection had typical vesicular or arbuscuiar and inter- and intra-cellular hyphal infection.