M. Shishido et Cp. Chanway, Spruce growth response specificity after treatment with plant growth-promoting Pseudomonads, CAN J BOTAN, 77(1), 1999, pp. 22-31
Citations number
36
Categorie Soggetti
Plant Sciences
Journal title
CANADIAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY-REVUE CANADIENNE DE BOTANIQUE
Naturally regenerating hybrid spruce seedlings (Picea glauca (Moench) Voss
X Picea engelmannii Parry) were collected from sites near Mackenzie, Salmon
Arm, and Williams Lake, British Columbia, Canada. Bacteria were isolated f
rom roots and screened in greenhouse trials for their ability to enhance sp
ruce growth. Three strains belonging to the genus Pseudomonas were selected
for study based on their disparate geographic origins and their capacity t
o consistently stimulate spruce seedling growth in screening trials. Factor
ial experiments were performed in the greenhouse to evaluate the effectiven
ess of these Pseudomonas strains with different spruce ecotypes. Factors te
sted were spruce seed sources, Pseudomonas isolates, and forest floor soils
originating from different sites, Three levels of each factor were studied
: one spruce seedlot, one Pseudomonas isolate, and one forest floor type ea
ch originated from a site at Mackenzie, Salmon Arm, and Williams Lake, Brit
ish Columbia. Fourteen weeks after treatments were established, spruce biom
ass accumulation was greatest when spruce ecotypes were inoculated with bac
teria originating from the same geographical area as spruce seed. However,
Pseudomonas strains originating from sites other than the seed collection a
rea also stimulated seedling growth significantly, rendering the difference
in growth promotion between bacterial treatments small and insignificant.
In addition, spruce growth promotion was not enhanced when seed was treated
with combinations of Pseudomonas strains and forest floor soils originatin
g from the same forest ecosystem. We conclude that specificity between spru
ce ecotypes and plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria strains can be detecte
d under carefully controlled conditions, thereby supporting the hypothesis
that growth-promoting bacteria may adapt to their plant hosts. However, the
growth advantage accruing to seedlings treated with bacteria originating f
rom the same ecosystem is small and suggests that it is not necessary to ma
tch Pseudomonas strains with spruce ecotypes and soil types for effective s
eedling-growth promotion.