Effects of Hebeloma arenosa and phosphorus fertility on growth of red pine (Pinus resinosa) seedlings
Red pine seedlings (Pinus resinosa Ait.) were grown in a pasteurized Sparta loamy fine sand (8–12 ppm P) amended with five levels (0, 17, 34, 68, or 136 mg/kg P) of added superphosphate. Trees for each fertility treatment were grown in containers for 19 weeks with and without addition of Hebeloma arenosa inoculum to soil. In P-unamended soil, all inoculated trees formed abundant mycorrhizae and had 12 times the root and 8 times the shoot dry weights of nonmycorrhizal trees. Degree of fungal colonization and growth enhancement decreased with increased P additions to soil. In soil with the highest level of added P, mycorrhizal colonization and growth promotion effects were not observed. Seedling tissue concentrations of P and K were increased with fungal colonization. Iron was preferentially accumulated in the roots of mycorrhizal trees, with reduced translocation to shoots. In P-unamended soil, nonmycorrhizal plants had greater concentrations of Cu, B, Na, and Co compared with either mycorrhizal seedlings or plants grown in P-amended soil. Key words: ectomycorrhizae, roots, plant nutrition.