|
|
|
CROP STRAW
BURNING PRACTICE-A THREAT TO ARBUSCULAR MYCORRHIZAL
BIODIVERSITY
GHAZALA NASIM
Abstract:
The burning of
crop straw or vegetable remains is a traditional agricultural practice
in many countries of the world including Pakistan. Present study reveals
that the crop straw /veg remain burning practices in urban Pakistan is a
growing threat to the biodiversity of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungal
communities in the region. The study reports that some of the species of
AM fungi use these plant portions as their ecological niches and
categorically sporulate in decaying sheathing leaf bases/non root
portions like scale-leaves of cereal crops and vegetables. This includes
species of Glomus, Sclerosystis and Acaulospora. Setting
the left over plant materials into fire has lead to complete burning of
the biomass into ashes and sterilization of upper 10-15cm of surface
soil (Fig. 1). This practice if continues may totally eliminate the
threatened species like Glomus monosporum, Acaulospora bireticulta
and Sclerocystis pakistanica.
Institute of
Agriculture Sciences, University of the
Punjab, Quaid-e-Azam Campus, Lahore, 54590, Pakistan
E-mail:
ghazalanasim@hotmail.com
|
|
|