Effects of fertilizers and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi on the post-vitro growth of micropropagated strawberry

Abstract

Summary — A 5-wk factorial experiment was conducted to examine the effects of osmocote (18N:11P:10K; commercial controlled-release fertilizer), rock phosphate and 3 species of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi on the growth of the strawberry cultivar Senga Sengana in a peat-sand-vermiculite substrate. Three Glomus species, G98 (probably G intraradices), G128 (an undescribed species) and G geosporum were compared. G98 and G128 significantly increased shoot dry weights compared with the non-mycorrhizal control. Levels of root colonization by G98 and G128 were significantly greater than by G geosporum. The addition of both fertilizer types significantly increased shoot dry weights. Neither osmocote (0.5-2.0 g/l) nor rock phosphate (1.0-5.0 g/l) addition had a significant effect on colonization by the 3 fungi. An osmocote fertilizer applied at 25% of the minimum recommended commercial rate to mycorrhizal plants was sufficient to produce equivalent dry matter yields as non-mycorrhizal plants receiving the

The application of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi to micropropagation systems: an opportunity to reduce chemical inputs

“…Responses to inoculation are dependent both on the species of the micropropagated plant (Salamanca et al 1992) and AMF species (Williams et al 1992). The use of controlled release fertilisers has been investigated with a view to limiting the influence of high phosphate levels, often applied to plantlets during weaning, on the establishment of the symbiosis.…”

“…The use of controlled release fertilisers has been investigated with a view to limiting the influence of high phosphate levels, often applied to plantlets during weaning, on the establishment of the symbiosis. These formulations have been successful with Williams et al 1992 demonstrating that the growth of AMF inoculated strawberries to which only 25 % of the minimum recommended rate of osmocote, a controlled release fertiliser, had been added had the same dry weight at harvest of non-inoculated plants receiving the full amount. Furthermore, Blal et al (1990) showed with micropropagated oil palm that in mycorrhizal plants the coefficient of fertiliser utilisation is increased.…”

Nitrogen Release Rate Differs by Fertilizer Source

“…CRF fertilizers have been tested on strawberries under field and greenhouse conditions (Albregts et al, 1990;Archbold et al, 1992;Williams et al, 1992). The use of CRFs has also been examined on blueberries (Hanson and Retamales, 1992;Naumann and Kruger, 1985).…”

Alleviation of High Temperature Stress in Strawberry Plants Infected with Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi

“…Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi have the effect of promoting host plant growth mainly by enhancing phosphorus uptake through symbiosis (Marschner and Dell, 1994). As for strawberry plants, growth enhancement through AM fungus inoculation was reported in several combinations of AM fungal species and strawberry cultivars (Robertson et al, 1988;Chavez and Ferrera, 1990;Niemi and Vestberg, 1992;Williams et al, 1992;Varma and Schuepp, 1994). Schenck and Smith (1982) and Haugen and Smith (1992) also reported that AM fungus-infected plants produced more dry weight of shoots and roots than non-inoculated ones under high soil temperature in soybean and mung bean, respectively.…”