Vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in winter wheat in South Coastal British Columbia

• Main Author: Cade, Barbara Jean
• Language: English
• Published: University of British Columbia 2010
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/2429/27401

This two-part study was conducted to examine the VA mycorrhizae of winter wheat in South Coastal British Columbia. In the first part, colonization patterns at four sites were monitored through the October to August growing season, as were a variety of environmental factors which might influence these patterns. Fall colonization was observed at two sites, which were the most highly colonized at all five harvests. The other two sites were not colonized until late spring, and never attained high levels of infection. Soil phosphorus, soil moisture and plant physiology were shown to exert the strongest influences on these patterns, while temperature was not believed to be an important factor. In the second part of this study, the systemic fungicide Bayleton (triademifon) was shown to be mildly fungistatic when it was sprayed onto the foliage of young plants, and to increase the levels of some foliar elements. The systemic fungicide Tilt (propiconazole) had no effect on colonization or foliar nutrients when it was foliarly applied to older plants. From this study, it is difficult to determine the importance of VA mycorrhizae to wheat in this region. With the more than adequate levels of plant nutrients in the soils at these sites, the mycorrhizae may not be very important nutritionally to the host plants. However, they may provide positive effects on growth which were not apparent from this study. === Land and Food Systems, Faculty of === Graduate