Changes in effectiveness of soil endomycorrhizal fungal populations during pasture development

Abstract

Changes in the effectiveness of endomycorrhizal fungal populations during a pasture development programme were demonstrated in a glasshouse experiment. The experiment consisted of reciprocal inoculations with mycorrhizal fungal populations from three soils at different stages of pasture development. Huia white clover and a hill country white clover ecotype were used as test plants. There were strong endophyte × host interactions and endophyte × soil interactions. There was a rapid increase in the effectiveness of soil endophyte populations as pasture development proceeded. This is assumed to result from host selection for effective endophyte strains from a diverse soil population under a changing environment.