Inoculation of native woody plants with vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi for phosphate mine land reclamation

Cuttings of Aronia arbutifolia (L.) Ell., Clethra alnifolia L., Cornus foemina Mill., Ilex glabra (L.) Gray, and Viburnum nudum L. were inoculated in a rooting bed with Glomus etunicatum (Nicol & Gerd.) Gerdemann & Trappe, Glomus intraradices Schenck & Smith, or a mixed culture that consisted of several unidentified Glomus spp. After 7 weeks, a low level of root colonization (overall mean of 2%) was recorded for all plant species except V. nudum. These low percentages were sufficient to obtain well-colonized plants (overall mean of 57%) after rooted cuttings were transplanted to potting medium and grown in a shadehouse for 7 months. Inoculation had no effect on plant growth or survival after outplanting to a site that contained abundant clay aggregates and where controls became colonized by vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal (VAM) fungi. Further studies are needed on sites differing in physical and chemical properties before reliable conclusions can be drawn concerning the use of VAM-fungus inoculation in phosphate minelands reclamation.