Introduction:
Vesicular arbuscular mycorrhizae (VAM) are present in the roots of almost all vascular
plants. These common, soil-borne fungi belong to the family, the Endogonaceae (Zygomycotina)
and produce fungal structures in the cortex of the roots. VAM play a crucial role in the mineral
nutrition of plants by transferring phosphorus and other minerals from the soil to the plant.
Techniques for obtaining VAM samples from natural sources and from inoculated pots are outlined.
Methods of isolating spores, of processing, staining and clearing root samples, and of identifying
the fungal structures are discussed