Effectiveness of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal (AMF) strains in colonisation of plants involved in phytostabilisation of zinc wastes

The effectiveness of mycorrhizal colonisation of four fungal isolates of different origin was tested in roots of Festuca rubra L. and Plantago lanceolata L. cultivated on three zinc waste substrata of different toxicity. F. rubra showed a much better survival rate than P. lanceolata. The effectiveness of mycorrhizal colonisation varied between the fungal isolates introduced. The highest values of the mycorrhizal parameters were found in roots inoculated with the Glomus claroideum strain originating from the industrial waste. Arbuscular richness, assessed in roots stained for viable fungal structures, was demonstrated to be the most sensitive parameter, showing statistically important differences between plants, artificially inoculated and those colonised only by the indigenous mycorrhizal fungi. This parameter was also useful to compare the substrata concerning their toxicity, and the results of the viability tests correlated well with the “availability” of the heavy metals.