Preinoculation with arbuscular mycorrhizae helps Acacia auriculiformis grow in degraded Indian wasteland soil

The effect of inoculation of two arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, Glomus fasciculatum, and G. macrocarpum, alone and in combination, on establishment and growth of Acacia auriculiformis in a wasteland soil was studied under nursery and field conditions. Under nursery conditions, mycorrhiza-colonized seedlings showed significantly higher root shoot dry weights and higher concentrations of phosphorus (P), potassium (K), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), and sodium (Na) in shoots of mycorrhizal than nonmycorrhizal seedlings. However, concentration of calcium (Ca) was unchanged. Acacia auriculiformis exhibited a maximal mycorrhizal dependency of 79.6% on dual inoculation. Mycorrhizal dependency differed with AM fungal isolates and age of the plant. Under field conditions, AM colonization of A. auriculiformis enhanced tree survival rates (85%) after transplantation. Arbuscular mycorrhiza-colonized plants showed significant increase in height, biomass production, and girth as compared to nonmycorrhizal plants. In general, all growth parameters were higher on dual inoculation of G. fasciculatum and G. macrocarpum as compared to uninoculated plants under both nursery and field conditions.