Mycorrhizal colonization and species of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in grasses from the Cuenca Pecuaria “El Tablón”, Cienfuegos, Cuba.

The presence of arbuscular mycorrhizae and communities of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) associated to four grasses established in areas of livestock basin “El Tablón”, belonging to the Estación Experimental "Escambray", Cumanayagua municipality, Cienfuegos province, was determined. Megathyrsus maximusscv. Likoni, Pennisetum purpureum cv. king grass, Brachiaria decumbens cv. CIAT-606 and Cynodon nlemfuensis vc. Jamaicano grasses were evaluated. A random block design was applied, with four treatments and 15 repetitions. All species showed arbuscular mycorrhizal colonization. The highest value was obtained in Brachiaria decumbens vc. CIAT-606, with 66.27%, while the rootlets of Pennisetum purpureum vc. king grass showed the lowest levels of this variable, with 48.80%. Eight species and five morphotypes of AMF, belonging to eight genera, were observed. The highest density of mycorrhizal fungi spores was associated with Pennisetum purpureum cv. king grass, with 3399 spores/100 g of soil, while the lowest corresponded to Brachiaria decumbens cv. CIAT-606, with only 195 spores/100 g. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi communities were more populated by species belonging to Glomus genus in the four studied pastures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]