Effect of the fungicide benomyl on spore germination and hyphal length of the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus Glomus mosseae

Authors

  • Viviana Chiocchio Department of Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Buenos Aires, Argentina
  • Nadia Venedikian Department of Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Buenos Aires, Argentina
  • Alicia E. Martinez Department of Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Buenos Aires, Argentina
  • Ana Menendez Ana Menendez Department of Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Buenos Aires, Argentina
  • Juan A. Ocampo Department of Microbiology, Zaidín Experimental Station, CSIC, Granada, Spain
  • Alicia Godeas Department of Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Buenos Aires, Argentina

Keywords:

Glomus mosseae, arbuscular mycorrhizae, benomyl, spore germination, fungicide

Abstract

The fungicide benomyl inhibited spore germination and hyphal length of the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus Glomus mosseae when applied at doses of 21.25 μg/ml (agronomic dose), 10.62 μg/ml and 10 μg/ml. G. mosseae was able to germinate in the presence of 2.12 μg/ml of benomyl, and the percentage of spore germination was unaffected by dosis of 0.1, 0.01 and 0.001 μg/ml of the fungicide. However, all doses of fungicide tested in this study decreased the hyphal length. When ungerminated G. mosseae spores previously exposed to benomyl were transferred to water-agar medium without benomyl, the maximum germination was 16%. Small spores of G. mosseae were more resistant to benomyl than the larger ones. Our results show some of the factors which can explain the variability of the effect of benomyl on arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi.

Downloads

Published

2010-03-14

Issue

Section

Research Articles