Global Journal of Science Frontier Research, D: Agriculture and Veterinary, Volume 22 Issue 1

Native Mycorrhizh-Forming Fungi Associated with Cultivated Forage Plants in the Central Valley of Catamarca, Argentina Di Barbaro Gabriela α , Andrada Horacio σ , Viale Sixto ρ , González Basso Valeria Ѡ , Alurralde Ana ¥ , Del Valle Eleodoro § & Brandán de Weth Celia χ Abstract- Mycorrhizae are a symbiosis between the roots of some plants and certain soil fungi, where both participants in this association obtain benefits. The plant provides the fungus with carbohydrates, proteins, and lipids, and in turn, the fungus allows the plant to better uptake nutrients from the soil and water. The objective was to determine the existence of mycorrhizal associations between native fungi and forage crops in the Central Valley of Catamarca. Root colonization of Melilotus officinalis , Avena sativa , Hordeum vulgare , Secale cereale , Panicum maximum, and Cenchrus ciliaris from field crops in the Central Valley of Catamarcawas studied. Fungal infection or colonization was quantified using the line intersection method and the frequency of appearance of fungal structures. Endomycorrhizal structures of the arbuscular vesicle type were observed, with continuous mycorrhizal hyphae, some of them with rosary lipids inside and vesicles with fat globules. In addition, dark septate endophytic fungi were observed. The association of mycorrhizae is described in six forage species cultivated in the Central Valley of Catamarca and the co-occurrence of arbusculo-vesicular mycorrhizae and native dark septate endophytes. Keywords: oatmeal; barley; rye; gatton panic; buffalo- grass. I. I ntroduction ycorrhizae are symbioses between plant roots and certain soil fungi. The term mycorrhiza describes the group made up of the absorption structures of plants and the fungal symbionts that colonize them in a distinctive way (Sánchez de Prager, 2007; Perez et al., 2010), generating a structural and metabolic integration typical of a symbiosis. The absorption of nutrients is affected by these associations that also influence plant health, productivity, and the adaptation of plants to environmental conditions (Sánchez de Prager, 2007). The plant provides the fungus with carbohydrates, proteins, and lipids, necessary for its development, and in turn, the fungus allows the plant to better capture water and nutrients from the soil, both macronutrients and micronutrients, especially those few mobile, such as phosphorus (Sánchez de Prager, 2007). Endo mycorrhizae and ectomycorrhizae are two types of mycorrhizae that occur naturally (Sieverding, 1983; García et al ., 2000; Biaus, 2017). Endomy- corrhizae are more frequent in nature and are characterized by the colonization of cortical cells by a mycosymbiont, which lives between them and within them, inter and intracellularly (Montenegro Gómez et al ., 2017). Among the different types of endomycorrhizal, the most widespread within plant species are vesicular- arbuscular mycorrhizae (VAM) or arbuscular mycorr- hizae (AM) and some more specific forms such as orchidoids and ericoid (Sánchez de Prager, 2007; Montenegro Gómez et al ., 2017). Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and vesicular-arbuscular fungi (HMVA) do not develop in pure culture media because they are not capable of growing in the absence of a host plant (Aguilar-Ulloa et al ., 2016), so they are considered obligate symbionts, this biological condition that represents an obstacle to their massive propagation. These fungi are propagated using trap plants, which after a period of growth, the roots and soil are collected for use as inoculant of endomycorrhizal fungi (De la Rosa-Mera et al., 2012).In recent decades, the study of these organisms has become important for apply them to the ground, as biofertilizers to increase the productivity in crops (Covacevich and Echeverria, 2010; Reyes Tena et al., 2015; Aguilar-Ulloa et al ., 2016; Ordoñez-Castañeda et al., 2021) and in phytoremediation, programs to correct contaminated soils (Pérez et al ., 2021; Colombo et al ., 2020; Quiroz-Mojica et al ., 2021). The colonization of roots by endomycorrhizal fungi is the most used parameter as a quick indicator of the presence of mycorrhizal symbiosis (Covacevich and Echeverría, 2010). Several plant species have been investigated as trap crops to produce mycorrhizae, to find plants that can be colonized and allow the rapid growth of mycorrhizae (Aguilar-Ulloa et al ., 2016). The appropriate trap crop must be a fast-growing plant that adapts to the environmental conditions where it will grow, must be M 1 Year 2022 1 © 2022 Global Journals Global Journal of Science Frontier Research Volume XXII Issue ersion I VI ( D ) Author α σ ρѠ ¥ : Faculty of Agricultural Sciences. National University of Catamarca. Avda. Belgrano and Maestro Quiroga. (4700) Catamarca. Argentina. e-mail: gabydibarbaro@yahoo.com.ar Author § : Faculty of Agricultural Sciences. National University of the Coast. Kreder 2805. (3080) Esperanza, Santa Fe. Argentina, National Council for Scientific and Technical Research. Author χ : National Council for Scientific and Technical Research.