Abstract

In many tropical soils, lack of phosphate is the most important constraint affecting plant growth, especially when the soils are degraded acid soils like in Kerala. In such soils, the success of the afforestation programme depends upon the establishment of seedlings. With a view to examine the use of mycorrhiza in reforestation of degraded acid soils of Kerala, studies were taken up with the objective to identify efficient species/strains of mycorrhiza in enhancing survival, establishment and growth of Acacia auriculiformis, Casuarina equisetifolia, and Pterocarpus marsupium seedlings. Brief results are presented here. High colonization of roots of Acacia, Casuarina, and Pterocarpus by VAM fungi indicates that these species are mycorrhiza-dependent. For each tree species, the efficient VAM species were different. Increase in growth, shoots and root dry weight, and P content of inoculated plants shows the positive role of VAM in promoting growth which will help in the