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The effects of a winter cover crop on VA mycorrhizal inoculum
potential
poster session 8
BOSWELL, EDWARD , ROGER KOIDE & DURLAND SHUMWAY
Department of Horticulture, The Pennsylvania State
University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
ICOM1 Abstract
In this study we tested the hypothesis that a winter wheat
(Triticum aestivum L.) cover crop will increase the
vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal (VAM) fungal inoculum
potential of the soil and that it will do so by increasing
amounts of extraradical hyphae. Cover crop and no cover crop
plots were created in the autumn. The following spring the
VAM fungal inoculum potential of the soil was estimated by an
8 d in situ maize (Zea mays L.) bioassay. The winter wheat
cover crop increased VAM fungal inoculum potential of the
soil. Soil disturbance, in combination with the 8 d in situ
bioassay, was used to estimate the inoculum potential due to
extraradical hyphae. The cover crop increased the amount of
infective extraradical VAM fungal hyphae in the soil. The
results of this study indicate that winter cover crops can be
used to manage VAM fungi in an agricultural system.