Fertilisation of Quercus seedlings inoculated with Tuber melanosporum: effects on growth and mycorrhization of two host species and two inoculation methods

Abstract

(4)Modern truffle cultivation is based on use of inoculated seedlings, which should exhibit highly colonised roots as well as a vegetative quality enhancing field plant performance. However, poor shoot and fine root growth has been a frequent issue in inoculated Quercus seedlings production. Fertilisation is a common solution in forest nurseries, but high fertilisation levels have been found to inhibit the formation of ectomycorrhizas of many fungal species. The influence of slow-release fertilisation (52 mg N, 26 mg P and 36 mg K per seedling) on growth and ectomycorrhizal status of Tuber melanosporum-inoculated seedlings was evaluated. Host species Quercus ilex and Quercus faginea and inoculation methods involving root-dipping and root-powdering were tested. Fertilisation increased weight of both host species without significant detrimental effects on ectomycorrhizal colonisation, showing that it can be effectively used in inoculated seedlings production. Both host species showed similar response to fertilisation. The inoculation method affected seedling weight and ectomycorrhizal status, suggesting that some inoculant carriers are able to damage Quercus development and T. melanosporum colonisation. The study provided an important basis for fine-tuning the use of fertilisers in truffle-inoculated seedling production.

Sequential application of inoculation methods for the mycorrhization of Quercus ilex seedlings with Tuber melanosporum

“…The tested inoculation methods not only improved T. melanosporum colonization levels but also decreased S. brunnea spread on the seedling roots, suggesting that S. brunnea colonization was related to low inoculation levels by the target fungus. This agrees with the pioneer behavior of this fungus, which usually colonizes the roots during late autumn or winter, thus reducing the availability of root tips for the target fungus during the second year in the nursery (Sánchez et al 2014;Garcia-Barreda et al 2017). Besides, S. brunnea is able of rapidly fruiting as soon as it establishes its rst mycorrhizae, which promotes the rapid spread of the fungus in greenhouses in with batches of different ages are kept together (Meotto and Carraturo 1988;Garcia-Montero et al 2008).…”

“…The choice of a good quality mycorrhizal seedling is critical for the success of a tru e plantation, since (i) the abundance of tru e mycorrhizae in the early years after plantation is related to infestation levels in the nursery, and (ii) mycorrhizae act as maternal material for sexual reproduction and fruitbody production in productive tru ères (Bourrières et where thousands of seedlings are produced (Averseng and Rouch 2001;; Iotti et al 2012). However, for Tuber species, little scienti c information is publicly available on the e ciency of inoculation methods or on the possibility of combining these methods, often because of patents and con dentiality agreements (Pruett et al 2008;Pereira et al 2013;Garcia-Barreda et al 2017).…”

Nota técnica: Primer éxito en el cultivo de trufa negra en el oeste de la península ibérica y posibilidades de expansión.

“…En otoño de 2005 se plantaron seis encinas micorrizadas con T. melanosporum. Los plantones fueron producidos en el Centro de Investigación y Tecnología Agroalimentaria de Aragón (CITA) siguiendo el método diseñado por C. Palazón y detallado por García- Barreda et al (2017). La calidad de micorrización se comprobó por el método INIA-Aragón, revisado por Andrés-Alpuente et al (2014), resultando el lote de plantas apto para el cultivo.…”