Fungi Fun: the Effects of Commercial Mycorrhizae on the Growth of Desmodium canadense and Salvia azurea

Abstract

Mycorrhizal symbioses with plants has been well studied and is understood to be an important contributor to plant ability to gain necessary water and nutrient requirements.  For two native forb species Desmodium canadense and Salvia azurea, our objective was to determine how the addition of a commercial inoculum of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) would interact with soils containing native AMF in affecting plant growth.  Concluding a 3 week observation period the data showed significant responses for an interaction between the inoculum treatment and the soil treatment across above ground biomass, below ground biomass, and shoot lenth.  Chlorophyll content did not increase significantly for the interaction of commercial and native AMF, but when only considering the inoculum itself and not against the soil treatment there was a significance.  Both species produced higher chlorophyll content regardless of soil treatment.  Overall, species Salvia azurea responded better for all soil treatments as compared to Desmodium canadense species with the exception of chlorophyll content in living soil regardless of inoculum.  Sterile soils appeared to have a detrimental effect especially for Desmodium canadense.  This could have been due to an improper matching of plant species and mycorrhiza species.  Despite the lower performance of Desmodium canadense, the evidence suggests that it is likely that a commercial inoculum of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi does have a positive interaction on both plant species observed when grown in soil with native mycorrhizae.