ECTOMYCORRHIZAL FUNGI ADAPTED TO ARID ALKALINE SOILS

THE ROOTS OF MOST VASCULAR PLANTS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH HIGHLY SPECIFIC ROOT INHABITING FUNGI. THE MYCORRHIZAL (FUNGUS-ROOT) RELATIONSHIP IS SYMBIOTIC; THE PLANT BENEFITS THROUGH IMPROVED NUTRIENT UPTAKE, WATER ABSORPTION AND AMELIORATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL STRESS. FOREST NURSERY SEEDLINGS INOCULATED WITH SUPERIOR ECTOMYCORRHIZAL FUNGI GROW FASTER AND ARE MORE RESISTANT TO ENVIRONMENTAL STRESS. THE FUNGUS, PISOLITHUS TINCTORIUS (PT), IS BEING COMMERCIALLY USED TO IMPROVE THE SURVIVAL AND GROWTH OF SEEDLINGS DESTINED FOR BOTH ROUTINE AND HIGHLY STRESS PLANTING SITES IN THE EASTERN UNITED STATES. PT IS NOT ADAPTED TO NEUTRAL OR ALKALINE SOIL CONDITIONS; AND CONSEQUENTLY, IT CANNOT BE USED ON THE MANY EXTREMELY DIFFICULT ALKALINE PLANTING SITES IN THE CENTRAL AND WESTERN UNITED STATES. FUNGUS ISOLATES ADAPTED TO THIS CONDITION WOULD BE EXTREMELY VALUABLE IN ESTABLISHING THE MORE THAN 200 MILLION TREES PLANTED ANNUALLY IN ALKALINE AREAS. IN PHASE I, THE PROJECT WILL ISOLATE ECTOMYCORRHIZAL FUNGI SUITABLE FOR IMPROVING SEEDLING GROWTH AND SURVIVAL IN ALKALINE SOIL CONDITIONS. INOCULUM POTENTIAL OF ISOLATES WILL BE ASSESSED IN PHASE II. THE PROJECT WILL CONTINUE IN PHASE III BY OUTPLANTING AND MONITORING SEEDLINGS SUCCESSFULLY INOCULATED IN PHASE II.