Mycorrhizal association in some weeds of Curcuma longa fields of district Kasur, Pakistan.

Detailed study was completed in district Kasur for association of vesicular arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (VAM) with weeds of Curcuma longa. For this purpose, 14 weed species including Sonchus aspera L., Chenopodium album L., Rumex dentatus L., Ageratum conyzoides L., Convolvulus arvensis L., Cynodon dactylon Pers., Oxalis corniculata L., Malva parviflora L., Malvastrum coromandelianum L., Trifolium resupinatum L., Euphorbia prostrata L., Anagallis arvensis, Phalaris minor Retz., and Cirsium arvensis L. belonging to eight angiospermic families were studied for arbuscular mycorrhizal association. The infection was maximum on S. aspera L. (81.2%), followed by C. dactylon (70.1%), O. corniculata (69.3%), M. Coromandelianum (68.2%), and P. minor (66.5%). However, Ageratum conyzoides L. (6.5%) and T. resupinatum (7.3%) were poorly colonized. Sonchus aspera L. and Ageratum conyzoides belonging to family Astereaceae showed variable sequence of colonization which meant that there is no association of the family in this characteristic but the association of these weeds is with Curcuma longa and other weeds of the fields.