This study postulates that the symbiosis between red clover, Trifolium pratense L., and the arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungus, Glomus intraradices Schenck & Smith, enhances secondary phenolic metabolism and nitrogen assimilation. To test this hypothesis, the four objectives set forth were to determine the impact of AM colonization and/or rhizobial inoculation in red clover on the: (1) growth parameters; (2) nitrogen assimilation, via the activity of glutamine synthetase (GS, E.C. 6.3.1.2), total N content and soluble protein concentration; (3) contents of isoflavonoids (e.g. genistein, daidzein, biochanin A, and formononetin); and (4) contents of these four isoflavonoids over time and with a hormonal factor, jasmonic acid (JA). To accomplish these objectives, four greenhouse experiments were performed. The overall results indicate that the colonized red clover plants, with 22% to 37% of AM root colonization, had enhanced shoot height as well as increased shoot and root dry masses. Co-inoculation with Rhizobium enhanced the growth parameters more than inoculation with either microsymbiont alone. The concentrations of micronutrients significantly increased in red clover with AM colonization and/or rhizobial inoculation, while the macronutrients did not vary to any great degree. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:uottawa.ca/oai:ruor.uottawa.ca:10393/26744 |
| Date | January 2004 |
| Creators | Phelps, Debbie |
| Publisher | University of Ottawa (Canada) |
| Source Sets | Université d’Ottawa |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 141 p. |
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