@article {KNZ00184, title = {Effects of soil microorganisms on mycorrhizal contribution to growth of big bluestem grass in nonsterile soil}, journal = {Soil Biology \& Biochemistry}, volume = {20}, year = {1988}, pages = {501 -507}, abstract = {

Plant dry weight and mycorrhizal root colonization of big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii Vitman) inoculated with Glomus etunicatum Becker and Gerd. were suppressed if non-sterile prairie soil sievings were added to pasteurized soil. Addition of prairie soil microorganisms, isolated onto peptone yeast extract, King\&$\#$39;s B, or starch casein agar media, to pasteurized soil also reduced dry weight and mycorrhizal root colonization of big bluesteam inoculated with G. etunicatum. In contrast, addition of non- sterile soil sievings or filtrate or organisms isolated onto potato dextrose or pseudomonas isolation agar to pasteurized soil improved growth of non-mycorrhizal big bluestem. These effects of soil microorganisms on plant growth were further quantified by comparing 32P uptake by fungicide treated and untreated mycorrhizal plants and by non-mycorrhizal plants in pasteurized and non-sterile soil. Mycorrhizal plants grown in pasteurized soil absorbed approximately 10 times more 32P than mycorrhizal plants grown in non-sterile soil. Application of propiconazole (Tilt) or fenarimol (Rubigan), fungicides which inhibit non-sterile soil, respectively. Thus, more 32P is absorbed in pasteurized than in non-sterile soil, probably because soil microorganisms limit mycorrhizal activity in non-sterile soil. Assessments of mycorrhizal contribution to plant growth conducted in sterilized soil may significantly overestimate the effects of VAM fungi because other soil microorganisms are not considered

}, keywords = {LTER-KNZ}, doi = {10.1016/0038-0717(88)90065-X}, author = {Hetrick, B.A.D. and G.T. Wilson and Kitt, D.G. and Schwab, A.P.} }