A Comparison of Three Methods for the Assessment of Fungal Colonization of Seedling Roots of Leek and Broad Bean

Abstract

IN recent years severa¹ methods have bean devised for the isolation of fungi from root tissues. The Harley and Waid serial washing technique¹ has already provided valuable data on fungi closely associated with plant roots^2,3, but it has been suggested that the plating of washed root segments in this method does not always allow the isolation of slow-growing forms (such as Basidiomycetes), these being unable to compete with the faster growing fungi. Methods such as root maceration⁴ and root fragmentation⁵ have been claimed to provide a more complete picture of root mycofloras. The experiments described here compare these three methods for the isolation of fungi from healthy seedling roots of leek (Allium porrum L.) and broad bean (Vicia faba L.).