Impact of mycorrhizal inoculation on spruce seedling: comparisons of a 5-year experiment in forests infested by honey fungus

Background and Purpose: The eastern part of the Czech Republic is afflicted by a decline in spruce stands. Forests stressed by drought are subsequently infested by honey fungus. Treating the root systems of spruce seedlings with a mycorrhizal preparation could present a certain possibility for protection against honey fungus. Mycorrhizal preparations are used in forestry, nursery management, horticulture and agriculture for soil reclamatioEn, planting the slopes and shoulders of roads, planting urban green areas, cultivating medicinal plants, and so forth. In this paper, preliminary results of pilot tests are shown. Materials and Methods: In the Nízký Jeseník area in the vicinity of the town of Skøipov, Norway spruce (Picea abies) seedlings were treated at five sites with the ectomycorrhizal preparation Ectovit. Four years after treatment, the treated and control seedlings were evaluated. Furthermore, seedlings were removed from the areas for laboratory evaluation of growth parameters and mycorrhizal characteristics. Results and Conclusions: The results showed that artificial inoculation, or treatment of spruce seedlings with mycorrhizal preparation, positively supported the rooting, growth and development of spruce seedlings.