Dual Inoculation with an Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungus and Rhizobium to Facilitate the Growth of Alfalfa on Coal Mine Substrates

• Published in: Journal of plant nutrition Vol. 32; no. 4-6; pp. 755 - 771
• Main Authors: Wu, F.Y, Bi, Y.L, Wong, M.H
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Philadelphia, NJ Taylor & Francis Group 01.05.2009; Taylor & Francis
• Subjects: Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; alfalfa; Biological and medical sciences; coal fly ash; coal wastes; dry matter accumulation; Economic plant physiology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Glomus mosseae; legume; Medicago sativa; Metabolism; Metabolism. Physicochemical requirements; mine spoil; mortality; mycorrhizal fungi; nitrogen; nitrogen-fixing bacteria; nutrient uptake; Nutrition. Photosynthesis. Respiration. Metabolism; phosphorus; plant growth; Plant physiology and development; potassium; restoration; revegetation; Rhizobium; Rhizobium meliloti; root nodules; soil inoculation; symbionts; Symbiosis (nodules, symbiotic nitrogen fixation, mycorrhiza...); synergism; vesicular arbuscular mycorrhizae; Rhizobium meliloti; Growth; Glomus mosseae; Revegetation; Glomeromycota; Fungi; Inoculation; Restoration; Coal mine; Plant nutrition; Dicotyledones; Angiospermae; Bacteria; C3-Type; Lucerne; Sinorhizobium meliloti; Feed; Facilitation; Symbiosis; Legumes; Vegetals; Medicago sativa; Fodder; Rhizobium; Symbiont; Substrate; Endomycorrhiza; Leguminosae; legume; Mycorrhiza; Spermatophyta; Fodder crop; Rhizobiaceae
• ISSN: 0190-4167; 1532-4087
• DOI: 10.1080/01904160902787867

A pot experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of Glomus mosseae and Rhizobium on Medicago sativa grown on three types of coal mine substrates, namely a mixture of coal wastes and sands (CS), coal wastes and fly ash (CF), and fly ash (FA). Inoculation with Rhizobium alone did not result in any growth response but G. mosseae alone displayed a significant effect on plant growth. G. mosseae markedly increased the survival rate of M. sativa in CS substrate. In CF and FA substrates the respective oven dry weights of M. sativa inoculated with G. mosseae were 1.8 and 5.1 times higher than those without inoculation. Based on nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) uptake and legume growth, the results also show that dual inoculation in CS and CF substrates elicited a synergistic effect. This indicates that inoculation with arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi may be a promising approach for revegetation of coal mine substrates.