Effect of Mycorrhizal Inoculation on Rhizosphere Properties, Phosphorus Uptake and Growth of Pine Seedlings Treated With and Without a Phosphate Rock Fertilizer

Abstract

A pot trial was carried out for 10 months to investigate the effects of ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungal infection and phosphorus (P) fertilization on the growth of newly germinated Pinus radiata D. Don seedling, P uptake by the seedlings and rhizosphere properties. The experiment consisted of two phosphate rock (PR)-P application rates [0 and 100 mg P kg −1 soil supplied as Ben Guire PR (BGPR)] and 5 soil treatments (autoclaved soil, fungicide-treated soil, untreated natural soil, and Rhizopogon rubescens Tul. and Suillus luteus (L. ex. Fr.) S. F. Gray inoculated soils). The results showed that the treatment effects were more striking in P-fertilized treatments. In P-fertilized soils, all the non-autoclaved treatments significantly increased seedling growth and P concentration and P uptake in plant tissues compared with the autoclaved treatment. The ECM inoculation produced greater phosphatase activities, higher oxalate concentration, and more plant-available P (soil solution P and resin extractable P) in the rhizosphere soils than in the bulk soils in P-fertilized soil. Compared with S. luteus, R. rubescens inoculation resulted in greater ECM tip density in seedling roots in P-fertilized treatments, indicating that R. rubescens are more susceptible to infection of radiata seedling roots. Approximately 57-69% of the BGPR added to the soil had been dissolved in 10 months after application and BGPR significantly increased seedling height, ECM root tip density, and P concentration in shoots in both autoclaved and non-autoclaved treatments.

Influence of Glomus etunicatum/Zea mays mycorrhiza on atrazine degradation, soil phosphatase and dehydrogenase activities, and soil microbial community structure

“…4) showed marked variation between the different mesh sizes as well as the inoculation treatments. This observation is consistent with Liu et al (2008) and indicates a contribution to the differences in soil hyphal length density and root colonization rate in the central compartment when it was separated from the side compartment by fine or coarse mesh . The total amount of PLFAs was higher in the inoculated than in the non-inoculated soil (P < 0.05), and was higher in the mycelium side-arm compartment than in the mycorrhizal root side-arm compartment (P < 0.05).…”

Management of nursery practices for efficient ectomycorrhizal fungi application in the production of Quercus ilex

“…the effect of ECM inoculation on Q. ilex growth performance under different nursery conditions has been little studied. In particular, the type of growth substrate and the employed fertilisation regime can greatly influence both mycorrhization and plant growth (Liu et al 2008;Vaario et al 2009). The success of ECM inoculation and consequent improvement of the production of Q. ilex can be failed if the adopted nursery practices are not adequate.…”

Comparative tolerance of Pinus radiata and microbial activity to copper and zinc in a soil treated with metal-amended biosolids

“…The bulk soil was separated from rhizosphere soil and root, and care was taken not to loosen rhizosphere soils from the root ball of the plant. The rhizosphere soil attached to the roots was separated by vigorously shaking the roots inside a bag (Liu et al 2008). Bulk and rhizosphere soil were split into three equal size sub-samples.…”