Mycorrhizas promote plant growth, root morphology and chlorophyll production in white clover

Background and Objective: White clover generally possesses shallow root systems and is strongly dependent on mycorrhizas. This study was aimed to evaluate mycorrhizal roles in plant growth, roots and chlorophyll levels in white clover (Trifolium repens). Methodology: Three arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) species, namely, Rhizoglomus intraradices, Diversispora versiformis and Paraglomus occultum were inoculated into potted white clover. Results: After 85 days of mycorrhizal inoculation, root mycorrhizal colonization of white clover ranged from 84.6-90.5%. Inoculation with AMF significantly increased leaf numbers, leaf area, petiole length and shoot and root biomass than non-AMF inoculation. Inoculated plants with D. versiformis and P. occultum recorded significantly higher chlorophyll a, b and a+b concentrations than non-inoculated controls. Mycorrhizal white clover plants had significantly higher nodule numbers, root total length, projected area, volume and number of 1st, 2nd and 3rd order lateral roots, as compared with non-mycorrhizal plants, regardless of AMF species used. Conclusion: It can be concluded that AMF has a positive contribution to promoting plant growth, root development and chlorophyll production in white clover. Dive versiformis represented relatively better effect than the other AM fungi in white clover. © 2017 Li-Hui Lü and Qiang-Sheng Wu.