Role of plant-mycorrizha symbiosis in revegetation of disturbed mining sites in India (North Telangana)

Abstract

Extensive mining activities develops with energy requirements of globalizing World. Both underground- and open cast mining are resulting disturbed soil surfaces, which need to revegetate for environmental safety. Coal mining sites at North Telangana region of India was investigated. Soils there are poor habitats for any plant establishment, the growth and survival of revegetated plants are possible only with arbuscular mycorrhiza (AM) fungal inoculation. Two leguminous agroforestry tree species were selected (Acacia nilotica, A.n. and Albizia lebbeck, A.l.). AM fungal spores were isolated and based on their morphological structures, 5 different types of AM species, the Glomus/Rhizophagus-, Gigaspora-, Acaulospora-, Scutellospora- and Sclerocystis sp. were identified. We have investigated the AM colonization rates, efficiency of selected strains in greenhouses and also at coal mine dumps by inoculation experiments on two test plants. AM fungal strains was found to be effective for the selected leguminus tree species both in their natural forests and at disturbed soils.