LE3 .A278 2005

2005

Kristie, David

Acadia University

Master of Science

Masters

Biology

Biology

The Himalayan blueberry, Vaccinium gaultheriifolium (Ericaceae), was studied in vitro to examine the effects of varying concentrations (0, 100, 500 and 1000 mg/L) of calcium carbonate (lime) added to media in the presence or absence of the Ericoid mycorrhizal fungus Hymenoschyphus ericae, on seedling growth. The effects of various amounts of lime and initial medium pH on growth of H. ericae in axenic culture in liquid media were also examined. In the absence of the fungus, all seedling growth parameters (dry weight, fresh weight, number of shoots, number of leaves, and seedling height) were significantly reduced at high lime concentrations (500 and 1000 mg/l). In the presence of the fungus, seedling height was also reduced by high lime, however there were no significant effects of varying lime levels on the other four growth parameters. For dry weight, fresh weight, number of shoots and number of leaves, there was an interaction between nonmycorrhizal versus mycorrhizal plants and lime level, such that, at low lime, nonmycorrhizal plants tended to grow better than mycorrhizal while at high lime, mycorrhizal plants tended to do better. Non-mycorrhizal seedlings had conspicuously short internodes and were shorter than mycorrhizal seedlings at all lime levels, and could be classified as dwarfs. Growth of the fungus H. ericae in axenic culture was not greatly affected by initial media pH or by lime level. The fungus showed high tolerance to lime, with growth occurring even at 3000 mg/l lime on solid media. Overall, this study indicates that in vitro, mycorrhizal fungi can benefit the growth of blueberry V. gaultheriifolium under high concentration of lime.

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https://scholar.acadiau.ca/islandora/object/theses:112