title: Effect of controlled inoculation with specific mycorrhizal fungi from the urban environment on growth and physiology of containerized shade tree species growing under different water regimes.
abstract: The aim of this work was to evaluate the effects of selected mycorrhiza obtained in the urban environment on growth, leaf gas exchange, and drought tolerance of containerized plants growing in the nursery. Two-year-old uniform Acer campestre L., Tilia cordata Mill., and Quercus robur L. were inoculated with a mixture of infected roots and mycelium of selected arbuscular (maple, linden) and/or ectomycorrhiza (linden, oak) fungi and grown in well-watered or water shortage conditions. Plant biomass and leaf area were measured 1 and 2 years after inoculation. Leaf gas exchange, chlorophyll fluorescence, and water relations were measured during the first and second growing seasons after inoculation. Our data suggest that the mycelium-based inoculum used in this experiment was able to colonize the roots of the tree species growing in the nursery. Plant biomass was affected by water shortage, but not by inoculation. Leaf area was affected by water regime and, in oak and linden, by inoculation. Leaf gas exchange was affected by inoculation and water stress. V(cmax) and J(max) were increased by inoculation and decreased by water shortage in all species. F(v)/F(m) was also generally higher in inoculated plants than in control. Changes in PSII photochemistry and photosynthesis may be related to the capacity of inoculated plants to maintain less negative leaf water potential under drought conditions. The overall data suggest that inoculated plants were better able to maintain physiological activity during water stress in comparison to non-inoculated plants.
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant, Soil and Environmental Science, University of Florence, viale delle Idee 30, 50019, Sesto Fiorentino (FI), Italy. alessio.fini@unifi.it.
authors.forename: Alessio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fini
authors.affiliation: Centro MiRT, Fondazione Minoprio, viale Raimondi 54, 22070, Vertemate con Minoprio (CO), Italy.
authors.forename: Piero
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Frangi
authors.affiliation: Centro MiRT, Fondazione Minoprio, viale Raimondi 54, 22070, Vertemate con Minoprio (CO), Italy.
authors.forename: Gabriele
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Amoroso
authors.affiliation: Centro MiRT, Fondazione Minoprio, viale Raimondi 54, 22070, Vertemate con Minoprio (CO), Italy.
authors.forename: Riccardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Piatti
authors.affiliation: Centro MiRT, Fondazione Minoprio, viale Raimondi 54, 22070, Vertemate con Minoprio (CO), Italy.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Faoro
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant, Soil and Environmental Science, University of Florence, viale delle Idee 30, 50019, Sesto Fiorentino (FI), Italy.
authors.forename: Chandra
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bellasio
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant, Soil and Environmental Science, University of Florence, viale delle Idee 30, 50019, Sesto Fiorentino (FI), Italy.
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ferrini
mesh_terms: D031002:Acer / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D059827:Agricultural Inoculants / Q000254:growth & development*; D002734:Chlorophyll / Q000378:metabolism; D002958:City Planning; D016468:Forestry / Q000379:methods*; D005658:Fungi / Q000254:growth & development*; D038821:Mycorrhizae / Q000254:growth & development*; D010788:Photosynthesis; D029963:Quercus / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D032384:Tilia / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D014197:Trees / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism; D014867:Water / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D014867:Water; D002734:Chlorophyll