Colonisation of spruce roots by two interacting ectomycorrhizal fungi in wood ash amended substrates.
Interactions between two ectomycorrhizal fungal species, Piloderma croceum Erikss. and Hjortst. and Piloderma sp. 1 (found to colonise spruce roots and wood ash granules in the field), were investigated in wood ash amended substrates. The comparative ability of these fungi to colonise roots of non-mycorrhizal spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) seedlings was studied in relation to factorial combinations of wood ash and N fertilisation. Non-mycorrhizal spruce seedlings (bait seedlings) were planted together with spruce seedlings colonised by P. croceum or Piloderma sp. 1. The growth substrate was a sand-peat mixture with wood ash or no ash and supplied with two levels of N, so that four substrate combinations were obtained. Piloderma sp. 1 mycelia colonised around 60% of the fine roots of bait seedlings in ash treatments regardless of N level and around 20-26% in treatments without ash. P. croceum only colonised 8% of the root tips in the presence of ash but 56% of the root tips in the low-N treatment without ash. However, in the high-N treatment without ash the colonisation level was reduced to around 30%. Total numbers of root tips per seedling did not vary significantly between the treatments. Possible reasons for the competitive advantage of Piloderma sp. 1 in wood ash fertilised substrate are discussed.
Mahmood
Shahid
S
Department of Microbial Ecology, University of Lund, Ecology Building, 223 62 Lund, Sweden. s.mahmood@adbn.ac.uk
D001487:Basidiomycota / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development*; D003470:Culture Media; D004271:DNA, Fungal / Q000032:analysis; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000378:metabolism; D028222:Picea / Q000382:microbiology*; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000382:microbiology*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D036226:Seedlings / Q000382:microbiology; D012987:Soil / Q000032:analysis; D014934:Wood
D003470:Culture Media; D004271:DNA, Fungal; D012987:Soil; D009584:Nitrogen