MONOXENIC CULTURE OF THE INTRARADICAL FORMS OF GLOMUS SP. ISOLATED FROM A TROPICAL ECOSYSTEM - A PROPOSED METHODOLOGY FOR GERMPLASM COLLECTION

Five arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi, isolated from the rhizosphere of banana and sugar cane, were successfully cultured in vitro in assoc iation with genetically transformed roots of carrot. The intraradical forms of the fungi as mycorrhizal root pieces and single isolated vesi cles constituted excellent sources of inoculum for the establishment o f in vitro cultures and for the continuous culture of the species. Sev eral thousand fungal propagules were obtained for the two G. versiform e species, G. intraradices and to a lesser extent for G. fasciculatum whereas few spores were obtained for G. macrocarpum. This coculture sy stem appeared suitable for the establishment of in vitro collections o f AM fungal strains.