Nursery and Field Response of Olive Trees Inoculated with Two Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi, Glomus intraradices and Glomus mosseae

Abstract

<jats:p>This paper reports the effects of inoculation with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi on early plant development, field establishment, and crop yield of the olive (<jats:italic>Olea europaea</jats:italic> L.) cultivar Arbequina. The response of olive plants to the fungi <jats:italic>Glomus intraradices</jats:italic> (Schenck and Smith) and <jats:italic>G. mosseae</jats:italic> (Nicol.&amp; Gerd.) Gerdemann &amp; Trappe in different potting mixes was studied in two different nursery experiments. Pre-inoculation with selected arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi prior to transplanting in the field improved plant growth and crop yield up to three years after inoculation. <jats:italic>G. intraradices</jats:italic> was more efficient at promoting plant growth than both <jats:italic>G. mosseae</jats:italic> and the native endophytes present in the orchard soil. Inoculation at the time of transplanting enhanced early plant growth in all the field situations studied. Diminishing mycorrhizal effects over time resulted from natural colonization of noninoculated seedlings and related to the native arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungal population of the field soil. Early inoculation of olive seedlings enhances early plant development and crop productivity of olive trees.</jats:p>

Effect of AMF application on growth, productivity and susceptibility to Verticillium wilt of olives grown under desert conditions

“…However, the benefit of AMF introduction at the early plant stages prevailed for a long time (in most cases at list one of the inoculation treatments for about 4 years after transplanting), and in one example, was further expressed by higher commercial fruit yield and, consequently, oil yield, as compared to the non-inoculated control plants (Table 1). These long-term influences of AMF application were greater than those found previously under more moderate conditions (Estaún et al 2003), probably due to the desert conditions: soils contain low natural AMF populations (Dag et al 2009), which probably cannot outcompete the inoculated/introduced AMF strains.…”

“…Mycorrhizal inoculation of propagated olive plantlets has been shown to have a positive influence on plantlet development in the nursery, resulting in greater mineral uptake and a significantly shorter period of nurserystage plantlet development (Martin et al 2006;SorianoMartín et al 2006;Dag et al 2009;Porras-Soriano et al 2010). Moreover, AMF colonization enhanced the acclimatization of young trees transplanted to the field (Estaún et al 2003). These contributions to plant development are especially important for the establishment of olive orchards in arid regions.…”

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi increased growth, nutrient uptake and tolerance to salinity in olive trees under nursery conditions

“…Mycorrhizal pre-inoculation of olive cultivar Arbequina plants growing in different potting mixes in two different nursery experiments improved plant growth and crop yield up to 3 years after the inoculation (Estaún et al, 2003). In this cultivar (Arbequina), G. intrardices was more efficient at promoting plant growth than both G. mosseae and the native endophytes present in the orchard soil.…”

“…Osmotic stress interferes with growth and has a negative effect on productivity and survival (Shen et al, 1999). Indeed, olive production is often limited by drought and salinity (Estaún et al, 2003;Ganz et al, 2002;Rinaldelli and Mancuso, 1998). When plants enter into a symbiotic relationship with AMF, however, this can lead to morphological and physiological changes that increase stress tolerance and improve the cellular conservation of water (Porcel et al, 2006).…”

Protection of olive planting stocks against parasitism of root‐knot nematodes by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi

“…Therefore it is likely that early mycorrhizal establishment in olive plants by inoculation of planting stocks during nursery propagation will be beneficial. Inoculation of olive planting stocks with AMF revealed significant increases in plant growth, precocity, production and tolerance to salinity (Roldán‐Fajardo & Barea, 1985; Rinaldelli & Mancuso, 1996; Calvente et al ., 2004), even in long‐term field experiments (Estaún et al ., 2003). However, there was no information available about the role of AMF in protecting olive plants against root‐knot nematodes.…”