Diversity of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in the rhizosphere of Angelica glauca and Valeriana jatamansi in NW Himalaya, India

Abstract. Tapwal A, Kumar A, Sharma S. 2023. Diversity of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in the rhizosphere of Angelica glauca and Valeriana jatamansi in NW Himalaya, India. Asian J For 7: 89-97. The diverse mycorrhizal association helps to conserve plant biodiversity, ecosystem function, and the accumulation of pharmaceutically important compounds in medicinal plants. Climate change may have an impact on plant diversity as well as on associated microbiota. The mycorrhizal association and diversity of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF) in the rhizosphere of two important medicinal plants of the North-Western (NW) Himalayas were explored during different seasons in two distant locations. The endomycorrhizal association in Angelica glauca Edgew. and Valeriana jatamansi Jones was confirmed by morpho-anatomical characterization of the roots. Microsclerotia, vesicles, and intracellular hyphal coils were found in the roots of both medicinal plant species. The research revealed 24 AMF representing eight genera in the rhizosphere of A. glauca and 19 AMF representing seven genera in the rhizosphere of V. jatamansi. The AMF colonization varied between 55.63-86.34% in the roots of A. glauca and 55.23-78.74% in V. jatamansi. The Spore Density (SD) in the rhizosphere soil of selected medicinal plants was highest during the winter season. The rhizosphere soil of A. glauca exhibited a rich diversity of AM fungi during the rainy season. On the other hand, in various seasons and locations, the maximum diversity of AM fungi was observed during the summer season in V. jatamansi. The genera–Glomus and Acaulospora had the highest species in both study sites.