Reforestation of Bauxite Mine Spoils with Eucalyptus tereticornis Sm. Seedlings Inoculated with Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi

background

In the Yercaud hills of the Salem Distict, Tamil Nadu, India, the authors investigated the feasibility of using trees inoculated with beneficial mycorrhizae as an alternative to the traditional and more expensive method of spreading topsoil before planting

Research Goals & Methods

Glomus aggregatum, G. fasciculatum, and G. geosporum were isolated, cultured and inoculated into the seedlings of Eucalyptus tereticornis. The seedlings were then transplanted directly into bauxite mine spoils in 1 ft. deep pits spaced 1.5 m apart in a randomized block design with un-inoculated control seedlings. The growth (shoot height, collar diameter and number of leaves ) and survival of all the seedlings were monitored at 30 days interval for two years.

Conclusions & Takeaways

The authors found that inoculated seedlings in the nursery showed significantly improved growth, nutrient content (N,P,K), and biomass in comparison to non-inoculated seedlings. These improvements were maintained in the field where inoculated seedlings had 95% survival as opposed to a rate of 40% in the control.