Soil acidity is often associated with toxic aluminum (Al), and mineral
uptake usually decreases in plants grown with excess Al. This study w
as conducted to evaluate the effects of Al (0, 35, 70, and 105 mu M) o
n Al, phsophorus (P), sulfur (S), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), magnesi
um (Mg), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), zinc (Zn,) and copper (Cu) uptake
in shoots and roots of sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench, cv. SC283
] colonized with the vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal (VAM) fungi isol
ates Glomus intraradices UT143-2 (UT143) and Glomus etunicatum UT316A-
2 (UT316) and grown in sand (pH 4.X). Mycorrhizal (+VAM) plants had hi
gher shoot and root dry matter (DM) than nonmycorrhizal (-VAM) plants.
The VAM treatment had significant effects on shoot concentrations of
P, K, Ca, Fe, Mn, and Zn; shoot contents of P, S, K, Ca, Mg, Fe, Mn, Z
n, and Cu; root concentrations of P, S, K, Ca, Mn, Zn, and Cu; and roo
t contents of Al, P, S, K, Ca, Mg, Fe, Mn, Zn, and Cu. The VAM effects
on nutrient concentrations and contents and DM generally followed the
sequence of UT316 > UT143 > -VAM. The VAM isolate UT143 particularly
enhanced Zn uptake, and both VAM isolates enhanced uptake of P and Cu
in shoots and roots, and various other nutrients in shoots or roots.