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Vesicular-Arbuscular Mycorrhiza Influence Growth But Not Mineral Concentrations In Seedlings Of Eight Sweetgum Families, Richard C. Schultz, Paul P. Kormanik, W. Craig Bryan, G. H. Brister

Richard C. Schultz

Seedlings of eight half-sib sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua L.) families were grown for 6 months in a fumigated soil mixture, with or without inoculum from a mixture of Glomus mosseae and Glomus etunicatus fungi, at levels of 140, 280, 560, and 1120 kg/ha of 10-10-10 fertilizer. All seedlings received three additions of 187 kg/ha of N during the growing season. Inoculated seedlings had significantly greater biomass, height, and stem diameters at each fertilizer level than nonmycorrhizal control seedlings. Significant differences in growth occurred between families in mycorrhizal plants. However, fertilizer did not significantly affect growth or nutrient uptake of the seedlings. …