Occurrence of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and of Azotobacter paspali in Paspalum notatum

Abstract

Occurrence of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and Azotobacter paspali in Paspalum notatum cv. Batatais and the association of this diazotrophic bacterium with indigenous AMF spores were verified in soil and plant samples collected in four different lawn areas, at the campus of UFRRJ and Embrapa-CNPAB, in the county of Itaguaí, RJ, Brazil. A. paspali was isolated from rhizosphere soil, rhizome, roots and leaves of P. notatum cv. Batatais; underleaf surface showed the greatest occurrence of A. paspali; high root colonization rate and spore density of AMF were found in root and soil samples of P. notatum, with predominance of the genus Glomus; A. paspali was not found neither inside nor on the surface of the AMF spores.