Importance of mycorrhizae

• The fungus derives nutrients through the root of

the plant.
• It converts high concentration of sugar to low
concentration.
• The fungal hyphae acts as massive root hair
system. Scavenging minerals of the soil and
supplying to the plant.
• It develops drought resistance toleranced ph and
temperature extremes.
• Greater resistance to pathogens due to
phytoalexins released by the fungus.
 Ectomycorrhizae
• Ectomycorrhizae are common in many forest
trees pines,beach hich are of much economic
value.
• In the fungal hyphae form a sheath over the
outside of the roots which is generally called
mantle of hyphae.
• A hyphal network called hartignet extends
into the first few layrs of the cortex and
reaches the endodermis.
• Common ectomycorrhizal genera are
basidiomycetes such as agaricales,amanita
tricholoma and ascomycetes ; truffles.
• They secrete various growth promoting
substances such as auxins,cytokinins and
gibberillic acids.
• These mycorrhizae are known to stimulae
plant growth and nutrient uptake in soils of
low to moderate fertility.
 Endomycorrhizae
• The mycorrhizae in which fungal hyphae
invade the root cells without forming any
external sheath,mantle of hyphae are called
endotropicmycorrhizae.
• Some par of invading fungal hyphae lie
externally as a loose mass of hyphae but they
donot form mantle.
 Types of Endomycorrhizae
• Vascular-arbuscular mycorrhizae
• Orchidaceous mycorrhizae
• Ericaceous myorrhizae
Vascular-Arbuscular mycorrhizae
Vascular –Arbuscuar mycorrhizae represent
association between fungi,mostly the
members of zygomycetes and angiosperms
such as forest trees agricuture crops.
The fungal hyphae develop vesicles and
arbuscules. Vesicles acts as food storage
organs where as arbuscules are brush like
branched haustoria developed into cortical
cells.
Importance of Arbuscular mycorrhizae
• External hyphae increase the volume of soil
and translocate phosphorous to the roots.
• The phosphorous absorbed is converted into
polyphosphate granules in the hyphae and
passed to the arbuscules for transfer to host
plant.
• It stimulates rooting,growth and survival of
the transplant.
• Enhances nodulation in legumes
• Decreases rods caused by fungal pathoens.
• Root penetration
• Stimulate uptake of zinc, copper, sulphur,
potassium.
• Larval development of nematodes.
 Orhidaceous mycorrhizae
• Here the higher plant is temporarily or
permanantly parasitic on the fungus.
• Orchid seeds are minute and fail to germinate
unless infected by fungus.
• In this the hyphae of the fungus penetrate the
cells of the cortex and form coils within the
cortical cells called peletons which are nurient
rich.
 Importance of Orchidaceous
mycorrhizae
• The degenerating peletons supply the orchid
carbohydrate and vitamins and hamones
obtained by saprophytic action of fungus
outside the roots.
• Most orchids become green nd so the
association between the orchid and fungus
may shift from parasitism to mutualism.
 Ericaceous mycorrhizae
• They are assesed with two familes Ericaceae
and Epacridaceae.
• In this the fungus forms dense ntracellular coil
in the cortical cells.
• This mycorrhizal association results in no
development root hairs as well as absence of
epidermal cells of the roots.
Importance of Ericaceous mycorrhizae
• This fungus has tremendous capacity of
mineralisation
• Stimulates nitrogen uptake.
• Plant growth even in infertile peat soil.
 Ectendomycorrhizae
• It bears the characterstics of both ecto and
endo mycorrhizae.The fungal partner
establishes mantle of hyphae on the surface of
the root as well as hyphal coils and haustoria
within the invaded cortical cells of the root.
• Eg:Conifer-boletus- monotropa
• Boletus forms ectomycorrhizae with
monotropa and endomycorrhizae with the
conifer.
 Rhizome –Legume Association
• Rhizome occurs free living in soil,rod shaped
has such a relationship with the roots of
several legumes such as Alfalfa,sweet cloves.
 Stages involved in root nodule
formation
– Recognition and attatchment
– Penetration and travel
– Bacterial formation
– Devlopment of mature nodule
 Recognition and attatchment
• In response to the variety of organic
metabolites,secreted by the roots of legume
plants.The rhizobia migrate towards and grow in
the rhizosphere.
• The flavonoid signals in organic metabolites lead
to the exchange of recognition signals that’s
attract specific rhizobia species to specific legume
root hair.
• Rhicardhesin birds to the complexes on the
surface of root hair.
 Penetration and Travel
• After attachment root hair curls as a result of action of
substance excreted by rhizobium species called nod
factor.
• Plant growth harmone indole acetic acid.
• Formation of infection thread which extends inward to
the root hair.
• Releases in to the ectoplasm of hostcell thrugh the
action of organiser produced by the interaction
between rhizobiumpolysachharides and components
of root cells.
• Nod factors stimulate root cell division and further
develop root nodule.
 Leghaemoglobin
• Unique protien and chemically similar to
haemoglobin.
• Due to this haemoglobin nodules appear pink in
colour which do not contain it. So in generally fix
less nitrogen.
• Symbiotic interaction:Formation of haemoglobin
and nitrogen fixing capacity.
• Leghaemoglobin acts as oxygen buffer.
• Cycling between oxidises Fe+3 and reducing Fe+2.
 Microbial ruminant association
• It is the interaction between the microbes and
higher form of life.
• Through this kind of relationship ,both the
microbe and higher organisms are benefited.
• A ruminant digestive system has four different
chambers:
• Rumen
• Reticulum
• Omasum
• Abomasum
• Ruminants eat large quantities of bulky plant
materials are consumed and swallowed with
only a minimum of chewing.
• The ingested material enters the rumen
directly,it remains for several hours.
• Microbial fermentation is distributed between
the first two compartments rumen and
reticulum.
• The well chewed material is swallowed again
which bypasses the rumen and enter the third
compartment omasum and finally enters into
abomasum fourth compartment.
• True digestion begins in the abomasum and
continues in the small and large intestine.
• Rumen is the largest compartment it has
relatively 39 ͦc and ph 5 – 7.0.
• The end products from the fermentation of
cellulose are used by indigenious microflora and
or by the host animal.
Major aspects of rumen symbiosis
• Ruminants benefits by converting non
digestible substances into simple substances.
• Microbes compete interspecifically with the
animal for the end products of process.
• Ruminants sometimes take nutritional
supplements from the microbes.