Diversity of AM (Arbuscular Mycorrhiza) fungi associated with different medicinal plants of Ri-Bhoi district, Meghalaya, India

Medicinal plants are integral part of rural and trival lives of India for traditional uses especially for the treatment of various diseases. Due to increase in population and extensive need of medicine, the medicinal plants are becoming endangered and rare for the supply of drugs. Arbuscular Mycorrhizal (AM) plays an important role for the development of soil parameters which in turn useful for the growth and yield of the plants. Therefore attempts are made to explore and to develop cultivation technologies for large scale plantation. Inoculation of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal (AM) fungi during an early stage of plant growth has become an alternative strategy for improved plant survival and growth. AM association have been reported to have function in improving the growth of medicinal plants and productivity of medicinal plants and medicinal compound. Meghalaya is home to very rich floral diversity because of its favourable climatic condition, leading the availability of a wide range of medicinal and aromatic plants. So our study emphasizes the use of native AM fungal strain for the conservation of rare endangered medicinal plants of Meghalaya.The research study aims on the isolation & characterization of AM fungi growing on rhizospheric regions of rare & endangered medicinal plants & therefore possible application of these beneficial dormant AM starins for biofertillizers production.This work also emphasizes the scope of mass cultivation of endangered medicinal plants by the use of native AM inoculum and thereby enhancing the entrepreneurial opportunities in this region.