Relative importance of the endomycorrhizal and (or) ectomycorrhizal associations in Allocasuarina and Casuarina genera.

Abstract

This work was carried out to determine the relative importance of the endomycorrhizal and (or) ectomycorrhizal association in species of Casuarina and Allocasuarina. Under axenic conditions, Pisolithus and Scleroderma isolates formed ectomycorrhizas with a mantle and a Hartig net on Allocasuarina verticillata but failed to form a Hartig net on Casuarina glauca. In a controlled soil system, C. glauca was inoculated with the endomycorrhizal fungus Glomus intraradices Schenck & Smith, and A. verticillata was inoculated with Pisolithus albus IR100 Bougher & Smith and (or) G. intraradices. Both symbionts significantly stimulated growth in both plant species. For A. verticillata, its growth response to ectomycorrhizal inoculation was higher than to endomycorrhizal inoculation. When both symbionts were inoculated, antagonism among the fungal isolates was observed with a higher ectomycorrhizal colonization. These results showed that A. verticillata was ectomycorrhizal dependent, whereas C. glauca was endomycorrhizal dependent. From a practical point of view, this study shows the importance of selecting compatible mycorrhizal fungi for developing successful inoculation programmes. In addition, it would help to further research and determine the effect of ecto- and endo-mycorrhizal symbiosis on the formation and function of N2-fixing actinorhizal nodules.