The Effects of Commercial Mycorrhizal Inoculum on Ratibida columnifera and Helianthus annuus

Abstract

Premise of the study: Mycorrhizae is a fungus that lives in symbiosis on plant roots and uptakes nutrients for the plant in exchange for carbon from the plant. This experiment aimed to better understand the effects of the symbiotic relationship between mycorrhizae fungus, soil interactions, and two different species of plants, Rc- Ratibida columnifera and the Ha-Helianthus annuus. By better understanding how mycorrhizae influences plant growth, we can use that knowledge to apply mycorrhizae appropriately to plants for various desired results.

Methods: Six samples of Rc and Ha were planted in four different treatment conditions, containing: commercial and sympatric, commercial-only, sympatric-only, and no mycorrhizae. Chorophyll content, height, stomata count, and biomass were all used to compare the effects of the mycorrhizae.

Key Results: Live soil had a greater aboveground biomass than sterile soil (P=0.018). Live soil also had a greater belowground biomass than sterile soil (P=0.073). Non-inoculated treatments measured taller than inoculated treatments (P=0.583). Inoculated treatments had higher photosynthesis levels than non-inoculated (P=0.577).

Conclusions: Overall, our results suggest that commercial mycorrhizae benefited Ha plants more than the Rc plants. The non-inoculated Ha plants were taller than those with added mycorrhizae, but the inoculated plants had a higher chlorophyll count. This shows that the plants with added mycorrhizae could have sacrificed height to build up additional chlorophyll. The aboveground and belowground biomass was also greater in the plants that were in live soil compared to the sterile soil.