Effectiveness of five fungal isolates as mycorrhizal inoculants of birch seedlings

• Main Author: Úlfur Óskarsson 1957-
• Other Authors: Landbúnaðarháskóli Íslands
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: 2012
• Subjects: Birki; Rætur (plöntur); Iceland
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/1946/19796

Five fungal isolates were tested under nursery and field conditions as potential ectomycorrhizal inoculants for Downy birch (Betula pubescens) seedlings for a harsh site. Thirteen inoculum treatments, along with non-inoculated control seedlings, were randomly selected for the experiment. In the nursery, inoculation treatments were variably effective in enhancing mycorrhization and the inclusions of either Laccaria laccata, Paxillus involutus or Thelephora terrestris into inoculum treatments increased mycorrhization. Mycorrhization increased seedling height and reduced seedling root collar diameter relative to seedling height. In the field, mycorrhization and the inclusion of L. laccata into inoculation treatments in the nursery had positive effects on seedling survival while the isolate diversity and the inclusion of Cadophora finlandica into inoculation treatments in the nursery had negative effects. Furthermore, the isolate diversity and the inclusion of T. terrestris into inoculation treatments in the nursery had negative effects on shoot growth in the field. The results indicate that three of the isolates tested: Hebeloma velutipes, L. laccata and P. involutus, could potentially be used as mycorrhizal inoculants of birch seedlings for reclamation areas in Iceland, but further studies are needed. Svepprótamyndun fimm sveppastofna og áhrif þeirra á vöxt og lífslíkur birkiplantna (Betula pubescens) var könnuð í gróðrarstöð og á erfiðu uppgræðslusvæði. Þrettán tilviljunarvaldar smitmeðferðir voru prófaðar ásamt ósmituðum samanburðarplöntum. Svepprótamyndun í gróðrarstöð var breytileg eftir smitmeðferðum. Þær meðferðir sem ollu marktækt aukinni svepprótamyndun innihéldu ýmist Laccaria laccata, Paxillus involutus eða Thelephora terrestris. Vöxtur plantna jókst við aukna svepprót í gróðrarstöð. Eftir gróðursetningu juku svepprótamagn og meðferðir með L. laccata lifun, en Cadophora finlandica og fjölbreytni sveppa í upphaflegum smitmeðferðum höfðu neikvæð áhrif. Fjölbreytni sveppasmits og smitmeðferðir sem ...