1. Introduction
Mycorrhiza is a symbiotic mutualistic relationship be-tween special soil fungi and fine plant roots; it is neither the fungus nor the root, but rather the structure formed from these two partners. Since the association is mutual-istic, both organisms benefit from the association. The fungus receives carbohydrates (sugars) and growth fac-tors from the plant, which in turn receives many benefits, including increased nutrient absorption. In this associa-tion, the fungus takes over the role of the plant’s root hairs and acts as an extension of the root system [1]. The potential for manipulating mycorrhizal associations to increase productivity in plantation forestry, or plant es-tablishment during ecosystem recovery after severe dis-turbance, are the focus of major research initiatives. There is also much interest in their potential utilization in me-dicinal, agricultural and horticultural crops. Vesicular Ar-buscular Mycorrhiza (VAM) is present in most medicinal plants, agronomic and vegetable crops. This type is char- acterized by the presence of arbuscules in the region of the root cortex; vesicle may or may not be present; and they function as reserve organs and also for fungal mul-tiplication. Vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizas (VAM) and arbuscular mycorrhizas are recognized as most common type of mycorrhizae with diverse host range [2].
The Himalayan state of Uttarakhand is very rich in medicinal and aromatic plants [3]. The medicinal plants in the region occur naturally and most of them propagate vegetatively by underground rhizomes, stems and bulbs or corms. This herbal wealth is being used not only by developing countries but also by developed countries for their health care systems. A bulk of our rural population relies on drug resources of plant origin. Locally collected plants are sold, where they are exploited commercially for preparation of medicines.
Three medicinal plants viz. Sadabahar (Catharanthus roseus Linn.), Tulsi (Ocimum spp.) and Shatavar (As-paragus racemosus Willd.) were considered for the pre-