Cp. Chanway et al., Endophytic colonization and field responses of hybrid spruce seedlings after inoculation with plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria, FOREST ECOL, 133(1-2), 2000, pp. 81-88
Bacterial colonization and growth responses of hybrid spruce (Picea glauca
x engelmannii) seedlings after inoculation with plant growth-promoting rhiz
obacteria (PGPR) were evaluated in controlled environment and field assays.
Six antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains belonging to the genera Bacillu
s and Pseudomonas were used as inocula. For controlled environment assays,
surface sterilized seeds were inoculated with log 6 Bacillus or log 8 Pseud
omonas colony-forming units (cfu) under gnotobiotic conditions for assessme
nt of rhizosphere and internal root and stem tissue colonization. In the fi
eld trial, one-year-old, container-grown hybrid spruce seedlings were inocu
lated with each of the Bacillus or Pseudomonas strains 1-2 days before plan
ting at nine field sites in British Columbia and Alberta, Canada. All six s
trains colonized the rhizosphere with log 5.6-7.6 cfu g(-1) root tissue und
er controlled environmental conditions. Two strains, Bacillus Pw-2R and Pse
udomonas Sm3-RN, were also recovered from internal root and stem tissues wi
th population sizes ranging from log 3.9 to log 5.0 cfu g(-1) plant tissue.
In the field trial, PGPR survived the winter in the rhizosphere with popul
ations of log 2 to log 5 cfu g(-1) root tissue 17 months after inoculation.
In addition, spruce growth was significantly enhanced by bacterial inocula
tion at certain sites. The most effective growth-promoting strains were the
endophytes, Sm3-RN and Pw2-R, and the external root colonizing strain, Ss2
-RN. These three strains increased seedling dry weight up to 57% above noni
noculated controls at five of the nine outplanting sites. Pseudomonas strai
n Sw1 and the other two Bacillus strains produced mean spruce dry weight in
creases at four of the sites. Seedling growth inhibition due to bacterial i
noculation was detected at some sites. Our results confirm the short-term,
sire specific effectiveness of PGPR for reforestation of conifer seedlings,
and indicate that benefits of a single inoculation at planting can extend
through the second year in the field. In addition, bacteria capable of colo
nizing the seedling interior may be more effective PGPR for spruce than tho
se restricted to the rhizosphere and the root surface. However, site specif
ic seedling growth promotion may necessitate matching PGPR strains to outpl
anting sites for effective growth promotion. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V.
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