Mycorrhizal Association and its Benefits to Allanblackia parviflora Tree Seedlings in the Nursery

Allanblackia species are high value multipurpose indigenous fruit trees whose seeds contain edible oil that has become a foreign exchange earner for rural-based enterprises. Wild harvesting could not sustain the supply to industry and therefore domestication was focused on developing propagation techniques, selecting and collecting elite planting materials. Little emphasis was placed on the soil nutrient requirements where preliminary results showed seedlings grown in rhizosphere soil of wild trees had good growth performance. A study was undertaken to examine microbial-Allanblackia parviflora plant interactions and determine their benefits to nursery seedlings. Roots of wildlings and rhizosphere soil from A. parviflora trees were collected from three forest reserves and the roots assessed for mycorrhizal colonization. Allanblackia parviflora seedlings were raised in different potting media with different ratios and their height and diameter determined. Soil treatments were also analyzed for nutrient and chemical contents. Vesicles, arbuscular structures, hyphal coils and intercellular hyphae were found on root tips of wildlings collected from rhizosphere soil of Allanblackia (AB) trees and seedlings grown in soil treatments containing AB soil. Root colonization of A. parviflora was largely in the form of extensive cell-to-cell growth of hyphal coils characteristic of Paris-type morphology. Addition of Agricultural field soil (Ferric Acrisol, Afs) or Humus (H)+Afs to AB improved height of seedlings. Seedlings grown in AB soil alone increased best in height with age followed by those grown in combination of 75% AB soil and 25% Afs. Available P was highest in Afs (220.84 mgP/kg) and low in AB soil (6.54 mgP/kg) while combination of H + Afs to AB increased K level to 341.34 mgK/kg. The improvement in growth must be due to both vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and soil chemical content of AB soil

Indigenous knowledge and utilization of edible mushrooms in parts of Southern Ghana

Indigenous knowledge on edible fungi in Ghana has mostly been limited to rural people. Edible mushrooms are collected from forest reserves, secondary forests and fields under fallow. However, with the current rate of bush burning and deforestation, collection of edible mushrooms from the wild is threatened. A survey was carried out in Southern Ghana to gather information on local knowledge and utilization of edible mushrooms. Mushroom collectors, consumers and traders were interviewed using structured questionnaires in local markets, homes and along roadsides. Thirty different mushrooms with their vernacular names were listed by correspondents. The commonest species collected for consumption are Volvariella volvacea (Bull.: Fr) Singer (Straw/Oil palm mushroom), Termitomyces globulus (Pat.) Heim, T. microcarpus (Berk. & Br.) Heim, T. schimperi (Pat.) Heim, T. robustus (Pat.) Heim and Coprinus disseminatus (Pers.: Fr.) S. F. Gray. Among the local people, names of edible mushrooms are based on the substrates on which they grow, their association with insects, and unrelated taxa are given collective names. Rural people believe mushrooms have medicinal values and can serve as blood tonic, reduce obesity and lower blood pressure in hypertensive patients among others. Mushroom consumption is however, low since mushrooms collected are rather exchanged for money to buy fish or meat which is often less expensive. Women are especially involved in mushroom collection and have extensive knowledge regarding mushrooms as well as deriving incomes from them. Keywords: Rural people, edible mushrooms, vernacular names, medicinal purposes Ghana Journal of Forestry Vol. 19 & 20 2006: pp. 20-3

Chemical control of blue stain and insect boreres in Pterygota macrocarpa logs at a Ghanaian logging site

Pterygota macrocarpa has emerged as a very popular timber species for the manufacture of plywood in Ghana. However, the blue stain fungus, Lasiodiplodia theobromae moulds and insect borers cause serious damage to the timber between the time of felling and extraction. This study assessed the potential of some chemical preservatives to reduce the impact of blue stain and insect borers on P. macrocarpa logs and determined the best treatment period for short-term preservation of the timber. Logs were treated with (i) fungicides (Antiblue and Bumper) (ii) an insecticide (Pyrinex) (iii) a combination of a fungicide and an insecticide and (iv) Kerosene. Experiments were conducted during both dry and wet seasons and included controls (no treatment). Treatments with combinations of Antiblue and Pyrinex soon after felling prevented sapstain and mould growth during the first fourteen days in the dry season but traces of sapstain appeared after seven days in the wet season. All preservatives showed at least 95% effectiveness in controlling stain in both dry and wet seasons when treatments were carried out immediately after felling but dropped to below 80% after seven days exposure in the wet season. The best chemical treatment for the suppression of insect borers was combinations of Pyrinex and Bumper and Pyrinex and Antiblue for dry and wet seasons, respectively. Keywords: Pterygota macrocarpa, chemical preservatives, sapstain, logs Ghana Journal of Forestry Vol. 17 & 18 2005: pp. 56-7