title: Effects of organic farming on communities of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi.
abstract: Red pepper (Capsicum annum L.) roots and soils representing different agricultural management practices such as conventional (CON), no-chemical (NOC), and organic farming systems (ORG) were collected from 32 farm field sites in Kyunggi, Korea to investigate the effects of these agricultural practices on arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) symbiosis. ORG inoculum significantly increased plant growth compared to inoculum from CON and NOC. A community analysis of AM fungi (AMF) using morphological features of spores revealed that AMF spore abundance and species diversity were significantly higher in ORG than in CON. Additionally, a community analysis of AMF colonizing roots using a molecular technique revealed higher AMF diversity in ORG than in CON. These results suggest that agricultural practices significantly influence AM fungal community structure and mycorrhizal inoculum potential.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology Education, Korea National University of Education, Chungbuk 363-791, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Si-Woo
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Eun-Hwa
authors.initials: EH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Ahn-Heum
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Eom
keywords: Arbuscular mycorrhizas; Organic farming; RFLP; Species diversity