A Contribution to the Vesicular Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungal status on twenty selected medicinal plants of Pandam forest in Darjeeling Himalaya, West Bengal, India

Twenty medicinal plants were investigated for Vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal (VAM) association in a survey of the Pandam area of Darjeeling Himalaya, West Bengal. Vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhiza was found to be of universal occurrence in almost all plants located at different regions of the globe except a few one under varied eco-habitats. Great variations were found in the VAM infection percentage compared to those at the other sites including seasons also. Herbaceous plants showed more infection in comparison with the shrubby plants found in the same locality. The association showed the first time information about the extent of the VA-mycorrhizal study along with the study of the soil characteristics at Pandam. Spore density of rhizospheric soils was also determined which showed the range in between 12 to 650 number per 100 gram of soil sample that may be a guide line to study more in the same site of Pandam for ready inoculums preparation at the later stage to develop mycorrhizal bio-fertilizer in restoration of ecosystem in hill.