Preliminary studies on mycorrhizal symbiosis in plant conservation, forestry and farming systems in Kenya

Abstract

The paper presents studies on mycorrhizal symbiosis in plant conservation, agriculture and forestry in Kenya. Mycorrhizal studies in conservation of rare, threatened and endemic plant species of Kenya were undertaken with aim of establishing fungal species associated with the plant species. Mycorrhizal studies in farming system evaluated the impact of different farming practices on mycorrhizal symbiosis, while in forestry the mycorrhizal studies evaluated fungal species in exotic and indigenous forests. The four studies show affinities of plant species to specific mycorrhizal types. Association with plant species seems to be a heritable trait. Mycorrhizal species composition was affected by the habitat, moisture content, soil nutrients and root morphology. In forestry, indigenous plant communities maintained high species diversity than the exotic species and the species were specific to forest type. Farming systems affected the abundance of spores of Mycorrhizae with spore abundance higher in improved tree fallow than natural fallow and continuous cropping systems. Studies on orchids showed each orchid species to associate with specific Rhizoctonia isolate and taxonomic trends were observed in the association. The four studies show changes in host plant and soil conditions to greatly determine mycorrhizal symbiosis, species composition and abundance.


Journal of Tropical Microbiology Vol.3 2004: 48-62