HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) An erratum has been published Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Smith, G. W. Articles by Skipper, H. D. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Smith, G. W. Articles by Skipper, H. D. Agricola Articles by Smith, G. W. Articles by Skipper, H. D.

Comparison of Methods to Extract Spores of Vesicular-Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi¹

ABSTRACT

Vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal spores were extracted from soil (pot cultures) using adhesion-flotation, sucrose-centrifugation, gelatin column, wet-sieve, and a new plating method. Counts of 150- to 300-µm diam spores were significantly higher for the plate method by 528, 370, and 258% than for the adhesion-flotation, sucrose-centrifugation, and gelatin column methods, respectively. Counts of 100- to 300-µm diam spores were higher for the plate method by 200 and 149% than for the wet-sieve and modified wet-sieve methods. Spore counts within four spore size ranges (50 to 100, 100 to 150, 150 to 300, and > 300 µm diam) were greater for the plate method than for the wet-sieve and modified wet-sieve methods by approximately four and two times, respectively. The plate method was consistently higher than the wet-sieve method only for small spores (50 to 100 µm diam) from soybean field soils. Although the new plate method is not applicable for extracting and quantifying large spores (> 100 µm diam) for low spore population soils (field soils), it is recommended for the purpose of quantifying spores in high population soils (> 20 spores/g) as might be encountered in pot cultures.

¹ Contribution of the Dep. of Agron, and Soils, Clemson Univ., Clemson, SC 29631. Technical Contribution no. 1560 from the South Carolina Agric. Exp. Stn.

² Graduate Research Assistant and Associate Professor, Dep. of Agron. and Soils. Present address of G.W.S., Dep. of Microbiol., Clemson Univ.

Received for publication October 12, 1978. Accepted for publication April 12, 1979.