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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Corvallis, Oregon » Horticultural Crops Production and Genetic Improvement Research Unit » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #427187
Research Project: Sustainable, Climate-Smart Solutions for Profitable Production of Small Fruit and Nursery Crops

Location: Horticultural Crops Production and Genetic Improvement Research Unit

Title: No short-term benefits of inoculation with ericoid mycorrhizal fungi for highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum: Ericaceae) cultivated under controlled conditions in rhizotrons

Author
item KILADZE, EMELIANE - Agriculture University Of Georgia
item WOJCIECHOWSKI, TOBIAS - Institute For Bio- And Geosciences Plant Sciences (IBG-2)
item Bryla, David
item BITSADZE, NANA - Agriculture University Of Georgia

Submitted to: Ukrainian Botanical Journal
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/26/2025
Publication Date: 7/1/2025
Citation: Kiladze, E., Wojciechowski, T., Bryla, D.R., Bitsadze, N. 2025. No short-term benefits of inoculation with ericoid mycorrhizal fungi for highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum: Ericaceae) cultivated under controlled conditions in rhizotrons. Ukrainian Botanical Journal. 82(2):90-97. https://doi.org/10.15407/ukrbotj82.02.090.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.15407/ukrbotj82.02.090

Interpretive Summary: Ericoid mycorrhizal fungi form natural, beneficial, symbiotic associations with the roots of blueberry, improving both growth and production of the plants by utilizing organic or insoluble compounds in the soil. In collaboration with researchers from the Agricultural University of Georgia and Institute of Plant Sciences, an ARS scientist in Corvallis, Oregon conducted a study to examine the potential benefits of inoculating blueberry plants with two different species of ericoid mycorrhizal fungi. After 40 days, inoculation with either fungal species increased the concentration of nitrogen in the leaves but resulted in less shoot or root growth than no inoculum. Therefore, there does not appear to be any short-term benefits to inoculating blueberry plants with ericoid mycorrhizal fungi, but further work is needed to determine whether there are any long-term benefits.

Technical Abstract: Ericoid mycorrhizal fungi (ErMF) enhance nutrient uptake in highbush blueberry (Vaccinium sp.); however, it is unclear whether inoculating plants with ErMF is actually beneficial. A 40-day rhizotron trial evaluated the effects of two ErMF isolates (Hyaloscypha hepaticicola and Oidiodendron maius), individually and combined, on growth and root development of the ‘Duke’ and ‘Legacy’ varieties of highbush blueberry, Vaccinium corymbosum. Fungal inoculation increased leaf nitrogen concentration in the ‘Duke’ cultivar plants; a decrease in root biomass was also recorded for the ‘Legacy’ cultivar plants compared to the uninoculated plants. The total root length in the ‘Duke’ cultivar was lower with O. maius or combined inoculum, and leaf potassium concentration in the ‘Legacy’ cultivar decreased with H. hepaticicola or combined inoculum. These findings suggest no short-term benefits of ErMF inoculation for highbush blueberry under the tested conditions. Further research is needed to evaluate potential long-term effects and optimize inoculation strategies.