Seasonal changes of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi as affected by tillage practices and fertilization : Hyphal density and mycorrhizal root colonization

The influence of tillage practices on native arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) was studied in two, consecutive years in eastern Canada, in two 11 year-old long-term tillage-fertilizer experimental field soils, a sandy loam and a clay, growing corn in monoculture. The three tillage practices were: 1) conventional tillage (CT; fall plowing plus spring disking), reduced tillage (RT; spring disking) and no-till (NT). The corn crop received either inorganic (N and K) or organic (liquid dairy manure) fertilizers. Mycorrhizal hyphal density was estimated from soil samples obtained in early spring (before disking), at the 12–14 leaf stage, at silking, and at harvest. The percentage of corn root colonization by AMF at the 12–14 leaf stage, at silking and at harvest was also determined. The sandy loam was sampled over two consecutive seasons and the clay soil over one season.