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THE BIOLOGY OF MYCORRHIZA IN THE ERICACEAE
Author(s) -
STRIBLEY D. P.,
READ D. J.
Publication year - 1976
Publication title -
new phytologist
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.742
H-Index - 244
eISSN - 1469-8137
pISSN - 0028-646X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1469-8137.1976.tb01501.x
Subject(s) - ericaceae , nitrogen , mycorrhiza , shoot , biology , ammonium , dry weight , botany , horticulture , agronomy , symbiosis , chemistry , bacteria , genetics , organic chemistry
SUMMARY Mycorrhizal and non‐mycorrhizal plants of Vaccinium macrocarpon were grown in a controlled environment for 12 weeks on sand supplied with five different concentrations of ammonium nitrogen in a logarithmically increasing series ranging from 1.0 to 56.0 parts/10 6 . All plants received a full complement of other mineral elements essential to growth. Interactions between the effects of mycorrhizal infection and nitrogen concentration were studied through the calculation of various growth‐functions. With increasing concentrations of ammonium nitrogen, uninfected plants showed significant increases in whole‐plant dry weight, percentage nitrogen content and specific absorption rate for N accompanied by decreases in root/shoot ratio and the value of the allometric constant k (the ratio of the logarithmic growth‐rates of root and shoot). Mycorrhizal infection induced similar changes at intermediate levels of nitrogen supply but did not affect seedlings grown under the highest and lowest concentrations of nitrogen used. Differences due to infection were generally smaller than those between uninfected plants from successive nitrogen treatments. The implications of these results are discussed in relation to the significance of mycorrhiza in the nitrogen nutrition of ericaceous plants in their natural habitats.