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- Reforestation of burned stands: the effect of ectomycorrhizal fungi on Pinus pinaster establishmentPublication . Sousa, Nadine R.; Franco, Albina R.; Ramos, Miguel A.; Oliveira, Rui S.; Castro, Paula M. L.The area occupied by Pinus pinaster in Portugal is rapidly diminishing because of forest fires. Ectomycorrhizal fungi form obligate, mutually beneficial associations with P. pinaster which improve plant growth and resistance to adverse conditions. The aim of this work was to assess whether native ectomycorrhizal fungi could be a useful tool in the reforestation of burned areas. The work was conducted in a forest nursery greenhouse, where P. pinaster seedlings were inoculated with compatible ectomycorrhizal fungal isolates: Suillus bovinus, Pisolithus tinctorius, Rhizopogon roseolus, and a mixture of the three fungi, using burned and unburned forest soil as substrate. Inoculation significantly enhanced the growth of P. pinaster, with R. roseolus proving to be the most effective in burned soil, with an 8-fold increase in plant fresh weight. Overall, inoculation stimulated growth most in burned than in unburned soil. This study suggests that inoculation with selected ectomycorrhizal fungi in containerised nurseries can be an advantageous approach for the successful establishment of P. pinaster in burned soil. The obtained results point out to the interest of extending these studies into fire-impacted areas, using ectomycorrhizal fungi as a biological tool.
- Combined use of Pinus pinaster plus and inoculation with selected ectomycorrhizal fungi as an ecotechnology to improve plant performancePublication . Oliveira, Rui S.; Franco, Albina R.; Castro, Paula M.L.Pinus pinaster is an important forest species for environmental and economic reasons. Due to its importance, tree improvement plans aimed at the selection and use of phenotypically superior trees, designated by plus trees, have been established. It is known that ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungi can improve tree survival and growth. Seeds obtained from P. pinaster plus trees have been used in forest nurseries. However, the effect of inoculation with ECM fungi on the performance of these plants has not been studied. We compared the performance of P. pinaster plants obtained from seeds of plus and non-plus trees to inoculation with different selected ECM fungi under conventional forest nursery conditions. In plants obtained from seeds of non-plus trees only those inoculated with Suillus bovinus + Laccaria laccata + Lactarius deterrimus had a significantly greater biomass and needles nitrogen concentration, while in plants obtained from seeds of plus trees this effect was seen not only in those receiving that same ECM inoculation, but also in those inoculated with Rhizopogon roseolus or Pisolithus tinctorius + Scleroderma citrinum. The best performance was that of plants obtained from seeds of plus trees and inoculated with R. roseolus or S. bovinus + L. laccata + L. deterrimus, with an increase in biomass of 2.2 and 2.0 times, respectively. This significant improvement was achieved without extra input of agrochemicals. The combined use of seeds obtained from plus trees and inoculation with selected ECM fungi can be an advantageous ecotechnological approach to improve nursery production of P. pinaster
- Ectomycorrhizal fungi as an alternative to the use of chemical fertilisers in nursery production of Pinus pinasterPublication . Sousa, Nadine R.; Franco, Albina R.; Oliveira, Rui S.; Castro, Paula M.L.Addition of fertilisers is a common practice in nursery production of conifer seedlings. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungi can be an alternative to the use of chemical fertilisers in the nursery production of Pinus pinaster. A greenhouse nursery experiment was conducted by inoculating seedlings obtained from seeds of P. pinaster plus trees with a range of compatible ECM fungi: (1) Thelephora terrestris, (2) Rhizopogon vulgaris, (3) a mixture of Pisolithus tinctorius and Scleroderma citrinum, and (4) a mixture of Suillus bovinus, Laccaria laccata and Lactarius deterrimus, using forest soil as substrate. Plant development was assessed at two levels of NePeK fertiliser (0 or 600 mg/seedling). Inoculation with a mixture of mycelium from S. bovinus, L. laccata and L. deterrimus and with a mixture of spores of P. tinctorius and S. citrinum improved plant growth and nutrition, without the need of fertiliser. Results indicate that selected ECM fungi can be a beneficial biotechnological tool in nursery production of P. pinaster.
- Mycorrhizal symbiosis affected by different genotypes of Pinus pinasterPublication . Sousa, Nadine R.; Ramos, Miguel A.; Franco, Albina R.; Oliveira, Rui S.; Castro, Paula M. L.Background and aims Higher growth rate and morphological traits have been the major criteria for selecting trees in breeding programs. The symbiotic associations between P. pinaster and ectomycorrhizal fungi can be an effective approach to enhance plant development. The aimof thisworkwas to assess whether the establishment of mycorrhizal symbiosis at nursery stage was affected by tree breeding. Methods Seeds of P. pinaster from a clonal population, designed to select for various traits, and from neighboring wild plants were inoculated with compatible ectomycorrhizal fungi: Suillus bovinus, Pisolithus tinctorius or Rhizopogon roseolus, and grown in individual cells containing forest soil, in a commercial forest nursery. Growth and nutritional traits, colonisation parameters and the fungal community established were assessed. Results R. roseolus and P. tinctorius were the most efficient isolates in promoting plant development. Inoculated selected saplings had an overall superior development than their wild counterparts, with up to a 4.9-fold in root dry weight and a 13.6-fold increase in the total number of ectomycorrhizal root tips. Differences in fungal community were revealed through the denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis profile of each treatment. Conclusions The results from our study suggest that the selected genotype benefits more from the mycorrhizal association and therefore this could be a valuable biotechnological tool for the nursery production of P. pinaster.