Pisolithus tinctorius fails to improve plantation performance of inoculated conifers in southwestern Oregon

Bare-root stock of Douglas-fir, lodgepole pine, white fir, and grand fir, inoculated with Pisolithus tinctorius and handled by standard nursery, cold storage and planting practices performed no better than stock which was not intentionally inoculated but which had formed mycorrhizae with indigenous, nursery fungi on a variety of different outplanting sites in southwestern Oregon. Climate, planting sites and nursery practices in the Pacific Northwest differ drastically from those in the southeastern United States, where P. tinctorius has increased plantation survival and growth. Before P. tinctorius can be recommended for nursery inoculation in the Pacific Northwest, its reaction to each phase of the nursery and planting process needs to be carefully analyzed to determine where the problems lie.This article was written and prepared by US Government employees on official time, and is therefore in the public domain.