Influence of Inoculation with Vesicular-Arbuscular Mycorrhizae on Posttransplant Growth of Prairie Forb Seedlings

Abstract

<jats:p>The objectives of this study were to compare the growth of prairie forb seedlings inoculated with vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal (VAM) fungi to noninoculated seedlings transplanted to a highway right-of-way and to evaluate the effect of different VAM fungal species or combinations on posttransplant seedling growth. Four species of prairie forbs: pale-purple coneflower (<jats:italic>Echinacea pallida</jats:italic> Nutt.), prairie blazingstar (<jats:italic>Liatris pycnostachya</jats:italic> Michx.), prairie phlox (<jats:italic>Phlox pilosa</jats:italic> L.), and gray-headed coneflower [<jats:italic>Ratibida pinnata</jats:italic> (Venten.) Barnh.], were grown in greenhouse mix and inoculated with <jats:italic>Gigaspora margarita</jats:italic> Becker and Hall, or <jats:italic>Glomus interadicies</jats:italic> Schenk and Smith, or with a native Indiana prairie soil inoculum, or with a mix of all three. They were transplanted to a highway site in June, 1994. Only gray-headed coneflower exhibited a positive growth response to VAM inoculation. Inoculation of gray-headed coneflower with <jats:italic>G. margarita</jats:italic> produced the largest growth response by the end of the experiment.</jats:p>