ISHS Acta Horticulturae 574: VII International Symposium on Vaccinium Culture
INTERACTION BETWEEN MYCORRHIZATION WITH DIFFERENT SELECTED FUNGI AND MINERAL FERTILIZATION OF VACCINIUM CORYMBOSUM L. MICROPROPAGATED PLANTS |
| Authors: | T. Eccher, N. Noé, C. Villa |
| Keywords: | Vaccinium corymbosum L., mycorrhiza, mineral nutrition, micropropagation |
| Abstract:
Different results have been obtained by numerous authors in fertilization trials on blueberry. The role of macro and micro-elements has been scarcely investigated in soil-less systems, where the interference of abiotic (pedologic) and biotic (mycorrhiza) factors is prevented. This research was initially carried out using micropropagated plants grown on sterile peat, not contaminated with mycorrhizal fungi. In subsequent trials, groups of plants were fertirrigated every 15 days with solutions containing N, P, K, alone or in combinations. Fertilization with P alone significantly promoted the emission of basal shoots. The number and length of the secondary shoots increased in plants supplied with P and was highest when a complete NPK solution was applied. The trials show a fundamental role of P in the nutrition of aseptically propagated plants cultivated on peat and particularly when it was supplied in association with ammonium. K alone did not affect the growth of plants nor did ammonium alone, while nitrates depressed growth. When potted plants of the cultivars Atlantic and Berkeley mycorrhized with different fungal strains were treated during the vegetative growing season with water solutions containing N, P and K in a factorial association, P proved to be the most effective element for root and shoot growth for both cultivars. A strong interaction was observed between mineral fertilization and mycorrhizal fungus: some of the tested strains doubled the effect of fertilizers as compared to others. Interaction was also confirmed between cultivar and fungus strain: the best result of mineral fertilization was obtained with different mycorrhizae in the two tested cultivars. It can be concluded that there are multiple interactions between cultivar, fungus and fertilizer. The effect of mineral fertilization on blueberry growth depends both on the blueberry cultivar and on the mycorrhizal strain. | |
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