EFFECTS OF ENDOMYCORRHIZAL INOCULATION ON GROWTH OF SELECTED LANDSCAPE PLANTS DURING NURSERY PRODUCTION (PROPAGATION, LUDOX, NUTRIENTS)
Abstract
Cuttings of Viburnum dentatum L. were inoculated with spores of Glomus fasciculatum (Thaxter) Gerdemann and Trappe. On the 4th through 9th weeks, fresh weight, number, and mycorrhizal condition of roots were determined. Inoculation resulted in uniform mycorrhizal infection, increased root development, and an interaction between mycorrhizal development and root initiation. Seedlings of Liriodendron tulipifera L. were inoculated with G. fasciculatum (Thaxter) Gerdemann and Trappe or Glomus mosseae (Thaxter) Gerdemann and Trappe. Plants were grown in highly fertile medium and were watered as needed with nutrient solution. Both fungal species successfully promoted plant growth under highly fertile conditions, but G. mosseae tended to be more effective in promoting growth. The mycorrhizal dependency of Acer platanoides L., Cornus sericea L., and Elaeagnus angustifolia L. inoculated with Glomus epigeum Daniels and Trappe, Glomus etunicatum Becker and Gerd., G. fasciculatum, Glomus macrocarpum Tul. and Tul., G. mosseae, or Gigaspora margarita Becker and Hall. Analyses included height, dry weights or shoots and roots, nutrient concentrations in leaves and roots, and carbohydrate concentration of stems and roots. Inoculation of A. platanoides, C. sericea, and E. Elaeagnus with each fungal species resulted in mycorrhizal development. Plant growth response to inoculation varied depending upon fungal species. Growth of A. platanoides and E. angustifolia were maximized by inoculation with G. etunicatum, while growth of C. sericea was maximized by inoculation with G. mosseae. Spore isolation by wet sieving and centrifugation was improved by the use of colloidal silica solution as a centrifugation media in place of sucrose solution. Spores of G. mosseae were isolated using either sucrose or Ludox solutions. The use of Ludox resulted in the recovery of more spores than sucrose and was most effective at specific gravities from 1.16 to 1.20.
Degree
Ph.D.
Subject Area
Botany
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