Abstract
Twenty-nine isolates of the ectomycorrhiza fungus Pisolithus sp. from different geographical and host origins were tested for their ability to form ectomycorrhizae on Eucalyptus grandis and E. urophylla seedlings under greenhouse conditions. The ectomycorrhiza-forming capacity of isolates varied greatly from one eucalypt species to the other. All isolates from Eucalyptus, nine from Pinus spp. and two isolates from unknown hosts formed mycorrhizae with E. grandis and E. urophylla. Root colonization rates varied from 0 to 5.2 % for all Pinus isolates and those from unknown hosts. Colonization rates for these isolates were lower than those observed for Eucalyptus isolates (0.8 to 89.4 %). Three isolates from unknown hosts formed mycorrhizae with neither Eucalyptus species. The main characteristic for distinguishing Pinus from Eucalyptus isolates was mantle color. These data corroborate previous results obtained in our laboratory indicating that the isolates tested represent at least two distinct different species within the genus Pisolithus.
Highlights
The ectomycorrhizal genus Pisolithus is widespread worldwide and associates with several tree genera
No significant differences in root colonization were observed between Pinus isolates and those from unknown hosts in association with the eucalypt species tested
The colonization rates for these isolates were lower than those obtained for the Eucalyptus isolates
Summary
The ectomycorrhizal genus Pisolithus is widespread worldwide and associates with several tree genera It is one of the most commonly used fungi for inoculation in controlled mycorrhization programs (Marx et al, 1982; Burgess et al, 1995). Studies by Malajczuk et al (1982) showed few differences in the ectomycorrhiza-forming ability of several eucalypt species from geographically distinct areas with several fungi, including Pisolithus, indicating no evidence for Eucalyptus fungus-specificity This observation was not confirmed since Eucalyptus species form little or no association with P. tinctorius strains originally isolated from pine (Burgess et al, 1994; Malajczuk et al, 1990; Oliveira et al, 1994)
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