The Production And Use Of Aeroponically Grown Inocula Of Vam Fungi In The Native Plant Nursery

Select vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal (VAM) fungi have been shown to enhance the growth of numerous plants of economic importance, including native plants used for revegetation of disturbed sites such as renourished coastal beaches and strip- mined lands. Nonetheless, VAM fungi are not used widely in plant production systems because inoculum sources are limited and application technologies are not well developed. A system for culturing VAM fungi using aeroponic culture technology is presented here. The techniques for processing the colonized root material into various inocula are also detailed, as well as methods to apply the inoculum to plants and to store the inocula. Grant no. NA 89 AA-D-SG053