Record ID No. |
3352 |
Author(s) |
Vohník, M., Sadowsky, J.J., Lukešová, T., Albrechtová, J., Vosátka, M. , 2012 |
Affiliation |
Department of Mycorrhizal Symbioses, Institute of Botany ASCR, Lesni 322, CZ-252 43 Průhonice, Czech Republic, Email: vohnik@ibot.cas.cz |
Title |
Inoculation with a ligninolytic basidiomycete, but not root symbiotic ascomycetes, positively affects growth of highbush blueberry (Ericaceae) grown in a pine litter substrate: Ligninolytic basidiomycete enhances growth of blueberry |
Source. Vol.(no):Page |
Plant and Soil, 355 (1-2): 341-352p. |
Categories |
Ericoid Mycorrhiza |
Subjects |
Biological Interaction |
Sub-subjects |
Plant growth promoting fungi |
Host |
Blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum) |
Organism |
Ligninolytic basidiomycete |
Country |
Czech Republic, Europe |
Abstracts |
Aims: Ericoid mycorrhizal (ErM) fungi and other ericaceous root symbionts do not completely degrade lignin, therefore the presence of lignin in organic residues may present a barrier to nutrient uptake by ericaceous plants. Due to specialization of ErM and saprotrophic, lignin-degrading fungi in litter decomposition and nutrient mobilization, we hypothesized that the presence of both types of fungi may exert a synergism in the proximity of plant detritus, thereby increasing the growth of plants over those grown with only one type or no added fungi. Methods: We tested this hypothesis by introducing ascomycetous ErM or root-endophytic fungi and the saprotrophic basidiomycete Agrocybe praecox to highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum) grown in a substrate of pine litter, bark and wood chips in a container experiment, and measured plant nutrient status and growth parameters over 30-months. Results: We detected no synergistic or antagonistic interactions between the saprotrophic basidiomycete and the root-symbiotic ascomycetes. Addition of lignin-degrading A. praecox but not ErM or endophytic symbionts positively impacted shoot growth, plant biomass, total P and N uptake from the substrate and precocity in fruit bearing despite widely acknowledged high saprotrophic abilities of the latter. Conclusions: We propose that lignin-degrading basidiomycetes are compatible with ericoid mycorrhizal roots and asymbiotically enhance plant growth via the release of N, P, and other nutrients from lignin-rich plant residues, thereby attenuating potential nutrient competition between plants and microbes as low quality litter decomposes. |