Mycorrhizal Infection and Plant Growth of Highbush Blueberry in Fumigated Soil Following Soil Amendment and Inoculation with Mycorrhizal Fungi

Abstract

A field trial was conducted to investigate the effectiveness of soil fumigation on maintaining nonmycorrhizal status and the effect of mycorrhizal inoculation and preplant soil amendment on the growth of tissue-cultured highbush blueberry plants. Soil fumigation using a methyl bromide/chloropicrin (67/33) mixture at the rate of 560 kg·ha-1 was effective in maintaining nonmycorrhizal status for one growing season. Noninoculated control plants became infected during the second growing season. Field inoculation using a native Oidiodendron maius was successful, but plant growth was not significantly affected by mycorrhizal inoculation in either year. Rotted sawdust amendment, however, reduced plant growth in the first year but effects were no longer measurable in the second year. Soil fumigation and field inoculation could be used to establish mycorrhizal plants and nonmycorrhizal controls for future short-term field experiments.