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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Corvallis, Oregon » Horticultural Crops Production and Genetic Improvement Research Unit » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #391571
Research Project: Water and Nutrient Management for Sustainable Production of Small Fruit and Nursery Crops

Location: Horticultural Crops Production and Genetic Improvement Research Unit

Title: Performance of taxonomically diverse native isolates of mycorrhizal fungi in symbiosis with young grapevines

Author
item Schreiner, Roger
item TIAN, T - Oregon State University

Submitted to: HortScience
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/15/2022
Publication Date: 9/11/2022
Citation: Schreiner, R.P., Tian, T. 2022. Performance of taxonomically diverse native isolates of mycorrhizal fungi in symbiosis with young grapevines. HortScience. 57(9):1135-1144. https://doi.org/10.21273/HORTSCI16648-22.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.21273/HORTSCI16648-22

Interpretive Summary: Root symbiotic fungi known as arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are needed for grapevines to grow in soils with limited phosphorus, and grapevines are colonized by numerous species of AMF in the field. Understanding how well different species of AMF perform in their native soil will identify which species should be further studied and used to develop commercial AMF products. By comparing how five different AMF species promoted growth and nutrient uptake in grapevines, we identified two species that were superior in promoting phosphorus uptake, one of which also stimulated greater shoot growth than the other fungi. One species did not colonize roots beyond a trace and had no impact on vine performance. Another species promoted greater uptake of manganese than the other fungi. The most effective isolates can be used to create AMF products for vineyards.

Technical Abstract: Grapevines rely on arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) to obtain ample phosphorus (P) from soils with low to moderate P like the Ultisols of western Oregon. Prior research indicated that nine species, or virtual taxa, of AMF colonized roots of Pinot noir at greater than 1% abundance in a single vineyard. However, little is known how different taxa within a community vary in their capacity to function as symbionts with grapevines. The effectiveness of five native AM species representing five genera to promote growth and nutrient uptake of Pinot noir was examined in an Ultisol soil under well-watered and periodically dry conditions. Plants were grown with each of the different isolates alone or without AMF. After 8 and 16 weeks, whole vines were destructively harvested and biomass and nutrients were determined. Results showed that four of the isolates colonized roots extensively, increased root and shoot biomass, and predominantly increased P uptake. A Claroideoglomus isolate was superior in promoting shoot growth as compared to Rhizophagus irregularis, even though both isolates increased P uptake to the same extent, suggesting a higher carbon cost for Rhizophagus irregularis. Scutellospora calospora failed to colonize roots beyond a trace and had no impact on vine performance. The ability to increase P uptake among the four effective fungi was not related to the frequency of arbuscules in roots suggesting that some P exchange occurs via hyphae within the cortex particularly for Funneliformis mosseae. Water limitation reduced P uptake as a main effect across all mycorrhizal treatments, suggesting that the native isolates studied here have similar functionality under well-watered and periodically dry conditions.