Abstract
AbstractMany forest soils are potassium (K) deficient, and Suillus species are common fungi in boreal pine forests that form ectomycorrhizal associations with trees. To select the ideal ectomycorrhizal fungi for improving the growth and K nutrition of trees in natural and artificial forests, the growth, oxalate efflux, K absorption and soil K depletion by 13 Suillus isolates were compared in pure liquid culture using soil as the sole K source. The growth of mycorrhizal Pinus massoniana Lamb. seedlings and the K extraction through extramatrical mycelia extending from the root surfaces were studied. The results showed that the tested Suillus species varied in growth rate and in the extraction of unavailable K from the soil. Their oxalate efflux may lead to the decomposition of K‐bearing minerals and K release. The plants grown with added mycorrhizal fungi had higher biomass and extracted more K, particularly mineral structural K (HF‐HClO4 digestible K), from the soil through the extramatrical mycelia than the seedlings grown without added mycorrhizal fungi. There was a positive correlation in K uptake between fungi grown in vitro and plants grown with mycorrhizae (R 2 = 0.717, n = 8, p < .01). Therefore, in vivo tests on ectomycorrhizal fungal isolates can be used as a proxy to study the patterns and mechanisms of K extraction from the soil by extramatrical mycelia. Fungal K uptake in vitro could be one of the important indexes in the selection of Suillus for improving the growth and K nutrition of P. massoniana trees.Highlights Suillus isolates varied in their ability to extract unavailable K from soil. Oxalate was vital to the degradation of K minerals in soil by Suillus isolates. Pine seedlings with added mycorrhizal fungi from genus Suillus had larger biomass and K uptake than their non‐mycorrhizal counterparts. Suillus isolates showed similar patterns in K uptake in vitro and when forming mycorrhiza.
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