Abstract
Every year there are changes in the register of fungicides available for forestry. It is proactive to develop a new strategy to minimise the application of chemical methods and replace them with natural and biological fungal control options. This study compares the influence after one growing season in a bare-root forest nursery of (a) effective microorganisms (EM) consisting of mixed cultures of beneficial and naturally-occurring microorganisms, (b) the organic fertilizer Actifos (Act), and (c) the mineral fertilizer Busz Forte (BF) on the growth and mycorrhizal colonization of two common forest deciduous tree species: Fagus sylvatica and Quercus robur. None of the analysed growth parameters (root collar diameter, length of shoots and roots, dry mass of shoots, and roots) of either tested tree species differed significantly among treatments. For both tree species, seedlings treated with EM exhibited partnerships with a smaller species richness of mycorrhizae than did seedlings in other treatments. Moreover, EM treatment significantly increased the abundance of non-vital root tips for both species. By contrast, BF exerted a negative effect on F. sylvatica non-vital mycorrhiza abundance. Based on morphological and molecular identification, a total of 11 ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungal taxa were detected in this study; three species (Peziza ostracoderma, Scleroderma areolatum and Cenococcum-like) were shared between both plant species. Across treatments, the most abundant ECM fungal species on F. sylvatica roots were Pezizaceae sp. (51.1%) and Hebeloma sp. (38.1%), while Peziza ostracoderma (26.8%), Naucoria salicis (24.1%), and Scleroderma areolatum (16.9%) were the most abundant taxa on Q. robur seedling roots. Our data indicate a negative effect of EM on ectomycorrhizal colonisation and on species richness of ECM fungi associated with F. sylvatica and Q. robur seedlings. None of the tested products had a negative effect on seedling growth, but seedlings treated with EM were characterised by a significant higher abundance of non-vital mycorrhizae.
Highlights
In European forests, tree planting is a basic reforestation tool based on the principle of sustainability and contributing to the productivity of forests
The aims of this study were to examine the effects of inorganic and organic fertilizer applications and their potential toxicities on ECM, as well as the use of effective microorganisms (EM) on plant productivity. For this purpose we examined the mycorrhizal communities associated with oak and beech seedlings after foliar applications of the following: EM, Actifos (Act), and Busz Forte (BF)
This study evaluated the effectiveness of foliar application of three different commercially available fertilizer treatments: (1) Actifos, (2) the organic mineral fertilizer Busz Forte and (3) the microbial product effective microorganisms (EM)
Summary
In European forests, tree planting is a basic reforestation tool based on the principle of sustainability and contributing to the productivity of forests. Based on data from European countries in 2010, over half of the region’s forests (53.2 million hectares) benefited from planting [1]. In Poland, reforestations of public, State and private forests in 2016 totalled 58,106 ha, of which 48,183 ha were artificially reforested. A total of 1996 ha were in seedling production in nurseries of public and State Forests (PGL LP) [3]. Production of seedlings in PGL LP (State Forests) takes place in a field, container and tunnel system. In 2016, a total of 759 million seedlings of forest trees and shrubs were produced in Poland’s State Forests, of which almost half (48.9%) were hardwood species [4]
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