Early effects of the ectomycorrhizal fungus Paxillus involutus on the root rot organism Fusarium associated with Pinus resinosa
Infection of Pinus resinosa Ait. seedlings in a sterile test tube culture system by Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. pini Schlecht. emend. Snyd. & Hans., which was determined microscopically by the presence of the fungus within root tissues, was significantly reduced within the first 6 days of infection after prior inoculation with the ectomycorrhizal fungus Paxillus involutus (Batsch) Fr. Hyphae and conidia of the pathogen were swollen and filled with osmiophilic material when P. involutus was also present in the rhizosphere of P. resinosa seedlings. Germination of F. oxysporum conidia was suppressed when they were placed in holes in P. involutus cultures on modified Melin Norkrans medium in Petri plates but was restored with removal of conidia from plates. Suppressed, ungerminated conidia had thick cell walls and large cytoplasmic inclusions. Staining using Calcofluor White M2R New revealed changes in the binding properties of septal wall material. Key words: Paxillus, Fusarium, ectomycorrhiza, disease suppression, anatomy.