GROWTH STIMULATION AND PHOSPHORUS ABSORPTION OF MYCORRHIZAL AND NON-MYCORRHIZAL NORTHERN WHITE PINE AND DOUGLAS FIR SEEDLINGS IN RELATION TO FERTILIZER TREATMENT

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Abstract
Two-yr.-old Pinus strobus and Pseudotsuga taxifolia seedlings formed mycorhizae and made normal growth on O''Neill soil inoculated with coniferous humus. On phosphorus-fertilized uninoculated soil P. strobus formed mycorhizae and grew normally, but Pseudotsuga taxifolia, although responding to fertilization, neither formed mycorhizae nor maintained normal growth. Excepting uninoculated Pseudotsuga taxifolia, good growth was associated with high tissue P. Since tissue P was equally high in mycorhizal and non-mycorhizal Pseudotsuga taxifolia seedlings, better growth of the former was attributed to a mycorhizal stimulus above that directly due to P. It is suggested that the stimulating effect of mycorhizal fungi on conifer seedlings is due to heightened metabolism associated in this instance with transfer of P and other stimulators from fungus to seedling.
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