Functional aspects of phosphorus uptake and carbon translocation in incompatible ectomycorrhizal associations between Pinus sylvestris and Suillus grevillei and Boletinus cauipes

Abstract

Pinus sylvestris L. and Larix eurolepis Henry seedlings were grown together in non–sterile laboratory microcosms containing functional mycelial networks of one of three different ectomyeorrhizal Fungi. The fungi used were Suillus bovinus (Fr.) O. Kuntze, and two Fungi which are commonly considered to be specific to Larix spp., Suillus grevillei (Klotzsch) Sing, and Boletirms cavipes (Opat.) Kalchbr. Patterns of mycorrhizal infection, transport of labelled assimilate and phosphorus uptake within the microcosms were studied in order to evaluate tine functional attributes of associations formed between P. sylvestris and the two‘larch specific’fungi. Fungal colonization of lateral roots and accumulation of labelled assimilate from adjacent plants fed with 14CO2 was significantly greater in the roots of Pinus plants when the ectomycorrhizal fungus was S. bovinu, and significantly greater in Larix roots when the fungus was V. grevillei or li. cavipes. Kctomycorrhizas formed between P. sylvestris and Ii, cavipes were fully functional in terms of transfer of labelled assimilate to the fungal mycelium. In mixed communities infected by B. caripes, myeclial uptake and translocation of 32P‐labelled orthophosphate was significantly greater to Larix plants than to Pinus plants. Formation of sheathed lateral roots on the Pinus plants was low. There was some autoradiographic evidence of phosphorus translocation from mycorrhizal pine roots to stem and leaf tissue hut levels of activity in the shoots were low, indicating limited translocation across the host‐fungus interface. Copyright © 1989, Wiley Blackwell. All rights reserved