The Effects of Mycorrhizal Colonization on Leaf Area Index.

Abstract

The effects of commercial mycorrhizal fungi and the absence of said fungi on leaf area of the grasses Bothriochloa ischaemum and Andropogon gerardii growth patterns were studied under four different soil conditions (live soil with myccoriziae, live soil without myccoriziae, sterile soil with myccoriziae, and sterile soil without myccoriziae). There were two procedures which were were done with each species of plants six times. The end result is forty-eight plants because there are two plant species, four treatment levels, and six replicates of each. Over an allotted time period our group consistently maintained, observed, and recorded results from the different groups.  Despite prior individual’s research that concluded warm season prairie grasses Bothriochloa ischaemum, and Andropogon gerardii were heavily dependent on mycorrhizal for growth. This experiment did not produce significantly different growth results among the four groups. It was concluded if there was a longer period of allotted time and larger test groups would more than likely produce a more significant outcome.