A PAPER‐SANDWICH TECHNIQUE FOR RAPID SYNTHESIS OF ECTOMYCORRHIZAS

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Abstract
SUMMARY: In the basic pure‐culture technique, fungus for inoculum is grown on stiff absorbent paper card over Potato Dextrose Agar, then this paper is removed aseptically and laid, fungus‐side down, on to a two‐dimensional array of roots of seedlings grown axenically on filter paper over a mineral salts agar medium. With the high inoculum potential achieved by this technique, ectomycorrhizas have been formed within one week of inoculating Pisolithus tinctorius Coker & Couch or Paxillus involutus (Batsch. ex Fr.) Fr. on to Eucalyptus globulins Subsp. bicostata (Maid, et al.) Kirkp., and over 50% of root apices were converted to ectomycorrhizas within two weeks. The paper‐based inoculum has also been applied successfully to convert peripheral roots of seedlings grown in peat‐moss within clay pots.