Water deficits and root growth of ectomycorrhizal white oak seedlings

Abstract

White oak (Quercusalba L.) seedlings grown in a silt loam soil inoculated with Pisolithustinctorius (Pers.) Coker and Couch exhibited 80% ectomycorrhizal development after a 6-month establishment period whereas the noninoculated controls exhibited less than 5%.When water was withheld and soil water potential decreased as the soil dried, xylem pressure potential and leaf conductance of both the inoculated and noninoculated seedlings declined gradually. At the peak of the drying cycle, the inoculated seedlings exhibited mean prelight and midlight xylem pressure potential values which were 0.2 MPa and 0.15 MPa, respectively, more negative than the noninoculated seedlings. Although the inoculated seedlings had a mean leaf surface area 1.5 times larger than that of the noninoculated seedlings, there were no significant differences in leaf conductance at the peak of the dehydration cycle. Mean rates of root elongation were greater among the inoculated seedlings during the drying cycle. Following reirrigation of the soil, the inoculated seedlings yielded significantly less negative values of prelight and midlight xylem pressure potential and greater leaf conductance when compared to the noninoculated seedlings.