| Summary: | Ectomycorrhizal fungi were used to alter seedling performance
in a normal reforestation situation. This work was conducted in
a precisely defined, natural ecological situation, so that
future work can be compared to this, and an understanding of the
behaviour of ectomycorrhizal fungi, under the conditions defined
in this study, can be developed over time. In addition,
specific problems in applied mycorrhizal research, such as the
culture of fungi, inoculation in nurseries and examination of
ectomycorrhizae were addressed, and new techniques developed.
Fungi from a variety of sources were screened, using a new
near-pure culture synthesis apparatus. Certain fungi were
selected and grown to volume, using a new fungus culture
technique. Seedlings in a commercial nursery were successfully
inoculated, using two procedures. One procedure involved the
injection of mycelial slurry into container plugs and the other
involved application of the slurry to the surface of root plugs.
The performance of the inoculated seedlings and mycorrhizal
fungi in the nursery was evaluated. Shoot growth of the
seedlings was increased or decreased, depending on the type of
fungus. Even very low levels of infection by Suillus
tomentosus (3.55%) increased the growth of lodgepole pine
seedlings. Seedlings of lodgepole pine and Engelmann spruce
that formed mycorrhizae with E-strain (sensu Mikola), Amphinema
byssoides (Fr.) J. Erikss. or Suillus tomentosus (Kauff.) Sing.,
Snell & Dick were transplanted to the field into a “normal
reforestation” situation. In general, the differences in growth
from the nursery, persisted after one field season. The behaviour of the inoculated mycorrhizal fungi on egressed roots
is described, including the encroachment of wild fungi, the
growth of the inoculated fungus onto new roots and the behavior
of Thelephora terrestris Ehrhart: Fr. In the field. A
low-toxicity dye (FDA Blue No. 1), not previously used for
examining ectomycorrhizae, was evaluated and a procedure for the
relatively fast and detailed description of ectomycorrhizae is
outlined.
This work suggests a minimum basic protocol for conducting
outplanting trials to insure that meaningful information on the
behaviour and function of ectomycorrhizae can be collected in
future experiments. The major tenets of the protocol are that
sites should be described using a comprehensive ecological
classification system, mycorrhizae on natural seedlings at the
study site should be described, the mycorrhizae on seedlings at
outplantlng should be described and monitored over the short
term and long term, a wide variety of fungi should be used in
outplanting trials in normal reforestation situations, cultural
and inoculation techniques need to be improved and growth and
survival need to be monitored over the short and long terms. If
ectomycorrhizae evaluation trials do not supply certain basic
information, it may be a very long time before it is understood
how ectomycorrhizal fungi respond to the type of site conditions
found in normal reforestation situations. === Land and Food Systems, Faculty of === Graduate
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