The Effect of A Vesicular-Arbuscular Mycorrhiza on The Uptake of Soil Phosphorus by Strawberry (Fragaria Sp. Yar. Cambridge Favourite)

Mycorrhizal and non-mycorrhizal strawberry plants, var. Cambridge Favourite, were grown in a soil low in available phosphorus as well as in the same soil dressed with KH₂PO₄. The soil was autoclaved and mycorrhizal plants were produced by inoculating young runner plants with sporo- carps of an Endogone sp. capable of producing vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhiza in strawberry. Leachings of sporocarps were also added to the non-inoculated plants.

In the P-deficient soil, the mycorrhizal plants absorbed significantly more P and gave significantly higher dry matter production than the nonmycorrhizal plants. The latter showed acute phosphorus deficiency symptoms. There were no differences in the P uptake and the growth of mycorrhizal and non-mycorrhizal plants in the phosphate-enriched soil.