Ti. Burgess et al., THE ABILITY OF 16 ECTOMYCORRHIZAL FUNGI TO INCREASE GROWTH AND PHOSPHORUS UPTAKE OF EUCALYPTUS-GLOBULUS LABILL AND E-DIVERSICOLOR F-MUELL, Plant and soil, 153(2), 1993, pp. 155-164
The effectiveness of 16 fungal isolates in forming ectomycorrhizas and
increasing the growth and phosphorus uptake of Eucalyptus globulus La
bill. and E. diversicolor F. Muell. seedlings was examined in the glas
shouse. Seedlings were grown in yellow sand at 2 phosphorus levels (4
and 12 mg P kg-1 sand). At the time of harvest (100 days), the non-ino
culated seedlings and seedlings inoculated with Paxillus muelleri (Ber
k.) Sacc. and Cortinarius globuliformis Bougher had a low level of con
tamination from an unknown mycorrhizal fungi. Seedlings inoculated wit
h Thaxterogaster sp. nov. and Hysterangium inflatum Rodway had develop
ed mycorrhizas of the superficial type whereas Hydnangium carneum Wall
r. in Dietr., Hymenogaster viscidus Massee & Rodway, Hymenogaster zeyl
anicus Petch, Setchelliogaster sp. nov., Laccaria laccata (Scop. ex. F
r.) Berk., Scleroderma verrucosum (Vaillant) Pers., Amanita xanthoceph
ala (Berk.) Reid & Hilton, Descolea maculata Bougher and Malajczuk and
Pisolithus tinctorius (Pers.) Coker & Couch formed typical pyramidal
ectomycorrhizas. The dry weight of non-inoculated and inoculated E. gl
obulus seedlings at 12 mg P kg-1 sand did not differ, whereas several
isolates caused growth depression of E. diversicolor. By contrast, at
4 mg P kg-1 sand growth increases ranged from 0-13 times above that of
non-inoculated seedlings. P. tinctorius produced the largest growth i
ncrease on both eucalypt species. In general, isolates which developed
more extensive mycorrhizas on roots produced the largest growth respo
nses to inoculation. Isolates which increased plant growth also increa
sed phosphorus uptake by the plant. Seedlings inoculated with L. lacca
ta and S. verrucosum retained more phosphorus in their roots than plan
ts inoculated with the other fungal isolates.