Abstract
Mycorrhizae are an important symbiotic relationship between fungi and plant roots. Arbuscular mycorrhizae (AM) enhance the growth, development and health of colonized plants. After colonizing plant roots, AM fungi differentiate to form branched tree-like structures (arbuscules). One of the major benefits of AM fungi is to increase P uptake from the soil. The objective of this study was to quantify differences among seven common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) genotypes response to AM fungi. Plants were grown for 40 days in mycorrhizal or non-mycorrhizal soil and analyzed for plant height, shoot dry weight, days to flowering, and leaf spectral reflectance. Results indicate that there is substantial variation among bean genotypes for growth in AM soil and low-P. AM fungi significantly increased plant growth in terms of shoot weight and chlorophyll reflectance. This work allowed the selection of bean genotypes DOR 364 and Calima as highly mycorrhizal responsive and G19839 as mycorrhizal unresponsive. Characterization of these bean genotypes and recombinant inbred lines will further improve our understanding of the genetics and physiological mechanisms of AM fungi symbiosis in plant growth and yield.
