Effects of soil moisture and soil sterilization on vesicular–arbuscular mycorrhizal colonization and growth of little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium)

Abstract

Nonmycorrhizal little-bluestem plants grown in sterile soil and mycorrhizal plants grown in unsterilized soil were experimentally subjected to varied soil moisture conditions that ranged from saturation for 12 h followed by drainage for 48 h to allowing soil to dry to permanent wilting point and returning it to field capacity 72 h later. Nonmycorrhizal plants produced significantly (p < 0.05) greater root and shoot biomass, had lower root/shoot ratios, and produced more flowering culms than mycorrhizal plants. However, mycorrhizal plants had significantly higher tissue concentrations of phosphorus, calcium, zinc, iron, copper, aluminum, and sodium and lower concentrations of potassium amd manganese. There was a decrease in percent colonization as soil water availability decreased.