Revista Chilena de Historia Natural 84 (1): 83-96, 2011
RESEARCH ARTICLE
Nutrient contents and inoculation with edible ectomycorrhizal fungi on two
neotropical pines
A high percentage of mortality appears in pine seedlings transplanted from
nursery to field, due to the fact that they lack ectomycorrhizal fungi which form obligated symbiosis with plants in natural
conditions in the forests. These fungi facilitate the absorption of nutrients and water, and therefore stimulate their growth.
Due to the ecological and physiological importance of the ectomycorrhizal fungi, this work evaluated the effect in terms of
growth, dry weight, percentage of colonization and nutrient content as a result of the inoculation with six edible
ectomycorrhizal fungi within the genera Laccaria and Hebeloma on Pinus patula
Schiede ex Schltdl. & Cham. And P.pseudostrobus Lindl. under greenhouse conditions. 397 days
after sowing, it was observed a beneficial effect in terms of growth and dry weight of aerial and radical parts, as well as a
higher contents of N, P and K of both pines as a result of the inoculation. The percentage of mycorrhization in plants
inoculated with the fungi species ranged from 57 % to 90 %. When combined inoculation of ectomycorrhizal species was
carried out, dominance of one of the inoculated species, in terms of root colonization, was observed. In these treatments
with simultaneous inoculation, the beneficial effects reported in the hosts were comparable with those observed in plants
inoculated exclusively with the dominant fungal species. According to the results, the inoculation of P. patula
and P. pseudostrobus with fungal species of the genera Laccaria and
Hebeloma is recommended in the establishment of forest plantations.
Key words:
ectomycorrhiza, inoculum, N, P, Pinus
