Record ID No. |
2117 |
Author(s) |
Sommerville K. D., Heslewood M. M., Siemon J. P., Offord C. A. , 2009 |
Affiliation |
Mount Annan Botanic Garden, Mt Annan Dr, Mt Annan, NSW 2567, AUSTRALIA |
Title |
Banking site soil for the germination of terrestrial orchid seed collections |
Source. Vol.(no):Page |
Seed Science and Technology. 37(1): 222-228p. |
Categories |
Mycorrhiza General |
Subjects |
Biochemistry |
Sub-subjects |
Miscellaneous |
Country |
Australia, Oceania |
Abstracts |
The conservation of terrestrial orchid seed is complicated by the requirement for a mycorrhizal association to initiate germination. As the fungi required for these associations reside in soil in the vicinity of orchids. All experiment was conducted to determine the potential for preserving fungal symbionts by storing site soil. Soil samples were removed from a potted collection of the endangered Pterostylis saxicola and subjected to storage at <10, 17.5. 47 and 100% relative humidity. And temperatures of 23, 4 and -18 degrees C. The soil samples were then tested for their ability to initiate germination after periods of 0, 4, 8 and 12 months. Storage duration Was found to be the only factor significantly affecting fungal Survival, with the ability to initiate germination declining steadily over the 12 month period. More research is required to determine optimal storage conditions I-or maintaining fungal viability however, we believe that the storage of site soil may be a useful adjunct to existing seed banking procedures for terrestrial orchids and for other taxa dependent on mycorrhizal associations. |