Biodiversity of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi in Agricultural Crops Grown Under Different Agro Ecological Zones of Bangladesh

Abstract

The biodiversity of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi of agricultural crops in different ABZs was assessed through survey during 1999. A total of 26 crops were surveyed in 4 AEZs in Bangladesh. Among the selected crops, maize, wheat, sorghum, grasspea, chickpea, cowpea, groundnut, soybean and onion were highly mycotrophic. Poor or no mycorrhizal association was found in prosomillet, sweet potato, lentil, linseed, knolkhol, brinjal, safflower, cabbage, cauliflower and mustard. Variations in AM colonization and spore population were observed for different agricultural crops in different agroecological zones of Bangladesh. The AM fungal structures (hyphae, vesicles and arbuscules) in the root system of the selected crops varied, irrespective of crop species.