© 2004 Heron Publishing—Victoria, Canada
Effectiveness of mycorrhizal inoculation in the nursery on growth and water relations of Pinus radiata in different water regimes
U. Ortega (1, 2), M. Duñabeitia (1), S. Menendez (1), C. Gonzalez-Murua (1) and J. Majada (1)
1. Dpto. Biología Vegetal y Ecología, Facultad Ciencias, Universidad del País Vasco, UPV/EHU, Apdo. 644, 48080 Bilbao, Spain / 2. Author to whom correspondence should be addressed (gvborlau@lg.ehu.es) / 3. Forestry Section, Grado, SERIDA, Estación Experimental, Apdo. 13, 33820 Asturias, Spain / Received October 8, 2002; accepted June 14, 2003; published online December 1, 2003
Summary
We compared the performance of mycorrhiza-inoculated and non-inoculated radiata pine (Pinus radiata D. Don) seedlings in two field studies. In the first study, aboveground growth of 2-year-old container-grown trees was compared
after planting in two areas that differed in water availability. Mycorrhizal inoculation significantly improved aboveground
growth in the 2 years after planting in both areas, especially at the drier site. In the second study, the influence of Rhizopogon roseolus (Corda ex Sturm) Th. Fries and Scleroderma citrinum Pers. on xylem water potential and hydraulic conductance at the soil–root interface of trees established at the same sites
was assessed. Nursery inoculations with R. roseolus and S. citrinum improved tree growth during the first 2 years after field outplanting, particularly at the drier site.
Keywords:
assimilation rate, field performance, fluorescence, hydraulic conductance, mycorrhizal trees, water potential.
