Commercial inoculation of eucalypts with ectomycorrhizal fungi

Abstract

Four eucalypt species (Eucalyptus globulus, E. nitens, E. regnans and E. diversicolor) were inoculated with alginate beads (Mycobead ™) encapsulating two ectomycorrhizal fungi (Hebeloma westraliense and Laccaria laccata). A commercial fluid drill, used for sowing seed, was slightly modified and was used to deposit 5-1 0 Mycobeads into a steamed peat: perlite (2: 1 v/v) seedling substrate immediately prior to sowing pre-soaked seed. The substrate contained basal nutrients minus nitrogen and phosphorus. Over 100,000 seedlings were sown in this way. Three weeks after sowing, seedlings were watered twice weekly with a complete liquid feed which included nitrogen and phosphorus at moderately deficient levels. Otherwise, standard practices used in production nurseries were maintained throughout. Three months after inoculating seed, all seedlings of all four eucalypt species were mycorrhizal and the majority of seedling trays contained Hebeloma and Laccaria sporocarps