Selection of efficient arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in the rhizosphere of cashew and their application in the cashew nursery

Mycorrhizal association in cashew (Anacardium occidentale L.) grown in five different plantation areas of South India was investigated. The soil samples were collected from all locations. Physico-chemical properties of rhizosphere soils, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal spore count and root colonization were recorded. Species isolated were Acaulospora, Gigaspora, Glomus and Scutellospora. The mycorrhizal spore density was maximum at Thanjavur and minimum at Kudumiyamalai. Root colonization percentage oscillated between 20 and 30%. The species of Glomus, G. aggregatum Schenck and Smith, G. fasciculatum (Thaxter) Gerdemann and Trappe and G. mosseae (Nicol. and Gerd.) Gerdemann and Trappe were the most abundant in the majority of the experimental sites. Hence these three species were selected and used for artificial inoculation studies. Of the three mycorrhizal fungi G. fasciculatum significantly increased shoot length, internode number, internode length, number of leaves, stem diameter, root length and root number.