Mycorrhizal Dependency in Certain Indian Cotton Cultivars

Abstract

Mycorrhizal dependencies of ten cotton cultivars were evaluated in the green houseusing completely randomized block design model. Acid-delinted seeds were sown inpolybags containing natural black soil. Plant growth, nutrient content and mycorrhizalcolonization levels were studied. Cotton cultivars exhibited mycorrhizal colonizationranging from 36.52 to 73.5 %. Plant dry weight and tissue Nitrogen content were positivelycorrelated whereas tissue Potassium was not correlated with the mycorrhization. Rootdiameter, number of root hairs and root length were varied among the cultivars. Rootdiameter was highest in the cultivar NHH 44, whereas root hair number was more in Suvin.Root hair length was maximum in the cultivar Suvin. Mycorrhizal dependency wasnegatively correlated with root hair number and root hair length. Maximum mycorrhizaldependency was exhibited by the cultivar Surya. The results showed the existence of strongmycorrhizal dependency in the cotton cultivars.