Abstract
Mycorrhizal inoculation of conifer roots is a key strategy to optimize establishment and performance of forest tree species under both natural and cultivated conditions and also to mitigate transplantation shock. However, despite being a common practice, inoculation in outdoor nursery conditions has been poorly studied. Here, we have evaluated effectiveness of four fungal species (Lactarius deliciosus, Lactarius quieticolor, Pisolithus arhizus, and Suillus luteus) in the production of mycorrhizal Pinus pinaster seedlings in an outdoor commercial nursery and their ability to improve seedling physiology and field performance. All inoculated seedlings showed a significant increase in growth at the end of the nursery stage and these differences remained after 3 years of growth in the field. Differences observed in the content of malondialdehyde, total chlorophyll, carotenoids, anthocyanins, and phenolic compounds from needles of mycorrhizal and control seedlings may reflect a different sensitivity to photo-oxidative damage. We conclude that ectomycorrhizal inoculation improves adaptability to changeable growing conditions of an outdoor nursery and produces a higher quality nursery stock, thereby enhancing seedling performance after planting.
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Acknowledgments
J. Sanchez-Zabala holds a Ph.D. grant from the Basque Country Government. This research was financed by the Basque Country Government (IT526-10 from the Research and Education Department as well as from the Agriculture Department) and the Spanish Government (AGL2009-13339-CO2-01 from the Ministry of Science and Innovation). The authors would like to express their thanks to BioEntelechia Translations for critical reading of the manuscript and improvement of its English.
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Sanchez-Zabala, J., Majada, J., Martín-Rodrigues, N. et al. Physiological aspects underlying the improved outplanting performance of Pinus pinaster Ait. seedlings associated with ectomycorrhizal inoculation. Mycorrhiza 23, 627–640 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00572-013-0500-4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00572-013-0500-4