Assessing the Infectivity of Commercial Mycorrhizal Inoculants in Plant Nursery Conditions

Abstract The infectivity of ten commercial mycorrhizal inoculants was examined in nursery conditions. Corn plants were grown in a soil-based medium and in two different soilless substrates, a potting mix prepared with redwood bark, pine sawdust, calcined clay and sand, and the commercial Sunshine #5 mix, mainly composed of Canadian sphagnum peat moss. The percentage of mycorrhizal colonization obtained with the different mycorrhizal inoculants ranged from 0 to 50%. This variation might reflect the presence or absence of viable propagules, the difference in the recommended rates applied as well as the difference in the content and type of infective propagules of each product. However, the infectivity of each mycorrhizal inoculant was also influenced by the growing media. Two products promoted higher values of mycorrhizal colonization in the Sunshine mix, three in the nursery mix and one in the soil-based medium. Mycorrhizal colonization did not enhance plant growth. Only the plants inoculated with the products that did not promote mycorrhizal colonization increased their growth relative to the non-inoculated controls, suggesting the presence of other growth promoters in the inoculum products. Based on these results, nurseries should conduct preliminary tests to determine which inoculants will perform in their potting mixes to assure the best fit of inoculum with their particular conditions.