Comparative study of key phosphorus and nitrogen metabolizing enzymes in mycorrhizal and non-mycorrhizal plants of Dendrobium chrysanthum Wall. ex Lindl.

The role of mycorrhizal fungi in overcoming nutrient limitation to plant growth by enhancing nutrient acquisition, especially phosphorus (P) and nitrogen (N), is well documented. However, in orchids, the importance of mycorrhizal fungi in nutrient acquisition is not as extensively studied as in other plants. Therefore, an in vitro culture system to study the effects of mycorrhizal association on P and N metabolizing enzymes, viz., acid phosphatase, alkaline phosphatase, nitrate reductase (NR), nitrite reductase (NiR) and glutamine synthetase (GS) in Dendrobium chrysanthum was developed. After 90 days of mycorrhizal treatment, activities of acid phosphatase, alkaline phosphatase, NR, NiR and GS were higher in mycorrhizal plantlets than in control plantlets. The hardened plantlets that were initially treated with mycorrhiza under in vitro conditions also showed higher activities of the enzymes investigated. These mycorrhizal plantlets showed higher survival (96.33 %), shoot length (3.7 cm) and shoot fresh weight (0.359 g) as compared to control after 120 days of hardening. The results presented in this study suggest that mycorrhizal association might have increased the assimilation of P and N in D. chrysanthum plantlets, indicating the importance of mycorrhiza in orchids.