INDIAN SCIENCE CONGRESS - India Environment Portal

24
Proc. 98th Indian Science Congress, Part II : Presidential Address
Planting of cuttings in traditional method in sand for rooting requires regular
nutrient solution sprays to sustain the root and shoot system. It is labour intensive,
uneconomical and hinders the natural acclimatisation and development of mycorrhizal
association in the root system, which results in high mortality after transplantation
for hardening in soil. Transfer of rooted cuttings from sand beds to the
polythene bags is also labour demanding and results in root injury and root loss at
the time of uprooting. Therefore, technique was modified and cuttings were planted
directly in polythene bags containing 2/3 rd natural zone soil in the lower portion and
1/3 rd sand in the upper portion. Roots directly enter into the soil and natural
acclimatisation and mycorrhizal development starts immediately after root emergence
and no nutrient solution is required to sustain the root and shoot. Forest
Department carried out plantation of seedlings produced through this technique and
observed 100% survival percentage. Joint trials with State Forest Department were
set up for the popularisation of the technology and have been approved for
incorporation in the regular nursery practices of the forest department. Around
20,000 saplings were supplied to GBPHIED Almora for planting at Badrinath
Shrine.
In Abies pindrow and Pinus roxburghii the morpho anatomical characteristics
and identification, mycorrhizosphere and effect of water stress on
mycorrhizal and non mycorrhizal seedlings has been investigated. Studies were
undertaken in natural soil which have propagules of mycorrhizal symbiont and
in the sterilized soils. The seedlings with natural inoculation attained better
growth, Shoot-height, collar diameter and fresh and dry weight than those grown
in sterilized soil. Similar studies have also been has carried out on some hard
wood trees like Robinia pseudoacacia, Aesculus indica, Quercus
leucotrichophora and four orchids species Habenaria densa, H. edgeworthi,
H. intermedia, H. pectinata and Mictrostylis wallichii. The latter studies were
to understand the nature of ericaceans monotropoid and orchidaceous types of
mycorrhizae. In addition, VAM fungi have also have been isolated and identified
from a number of angiospermic plants. (Thakur, 1990 Sharma, 1986, Chauhan,
1993, Ram, 1993)
Ecological aspects of mycorrhizae have also been investigated for the first
time. The studies were designed to estimate the mycorrhizal activity of roots in
a pure pine forest and in a mixed forest. The ecological implications of
mycorrhizal association in natural ecosystem, the role of soil or environmental
factors, mycorrhizal fungus characteristics or host plant properties a love or in