Enhancement of Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) Biomass Production under Drought Conditions by the Ectomycorrhizal Fungus Sebacina vermifera

Abstract

Experiments were conducted to examine the effects of cocultivating the important bioenergy crop switchgrass with the ectomycorrhizal fungus Sebacina vermifera under severe drought conditions. Plants cocultivated with the fungus produced significantly higher biomass and had a higher macronutrient content than uninoculated control plants under both adequately watered and drought conditions. © 2011, American Society for Microbiology.