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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.
- Management of nursery practices for efficient ectomycorrhizal fungi application in the production of Quercus ilexPublication . Oliveira, Rui S.; Franco, Albina R.; Vosátka, Miroslav; Castro, Paula M. L.The application of ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungi on forest nursery production is regarded as part of good management practice. However, before employing large scale inoculations in a nursery the interaction between ECM symbionts, growth substrate and fertilisation input should be studied to select the most suitable nursery practices for promoting plant growth and ECM colonisation. In this study, seedlings of Quercus ilex were inoculated with Paxillus involutus, Hebeloma mesophaeum or Cenococcum geophilum and grown in three different substrates commonly used in forest nurseries: peat-based compost, forest soil or composted pine bark. The effect of various fertilisation regimes was also studied. The choice of substrate had a significant effect on plant growth and ECM colonisation. The most appropriate combination of substrate and ECM fungus for Q. ilex growth and nutrition was peat and H. mesophaeum. Plants grown on a peat-based compost and inoculated with H. mesophaeum had a significantly greater biomass and leaf phosphorus concentration without fertilisation. Composted pine bark was found not to be suitable for growth or for mycorrhization. If the appropriate growth substrate is selected, it is possible to replace the use of chemical fertilisers by inoculation with selected ECM fungi. This results in a significant increase in plant development, and thus ECM fungi can be recommended as a more environmental friendly biotechnological approach to plant management in the nursery.
- 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.