The native desert sedge C. conglomeratus forms rhizosheaths to assist nutrient and water uptake from desert soil, while Sudan grass forms symbioses with arbuscular my corrhizal fungi for the same purpose. To comparatively study the success of both strategies under conditions of the UAE, both plants are grown in split root planting pots with half of their root system sharing the same soil volume.

Ph.D. Student Ms.Safaa A. Dhanhani (S.dhanhani@uaeu.ac.ae) and Dr. Elke Gabriel