Inoculation of forest and fruit trees with vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in guangxi province, China

Vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal (VAM) fungi were used to inoculate one-year-old trees of Mytilarea laosemsis, Eucalyptus exserta, Michelia macclurei var. sublanea, Mangifera indica, Litichi chinensis and Dimocarpus longan. Inoculation significantly increased plant height, stem diameter and biomass, compared with uninoculated plants. VAM fungus inoculation also increased the chlorophyll contents and photosynthetic rates in leaves and enhanced nutrient uptake by these species. These effects were particularly significant in L. chinensis plants grown in red soil. The concentrations of P, K, Ca and Mg in leaves and roots of inoculated L. chinensis plants were increased relative to those in the uninoculated plants.