Influences of Three Oidiodendron maius Isolates and Two Inorganic Nitrogen Sources on the Growth of Rhododendron kanehirae

Rhododendron kanehirae Wilson is an endemic species of Taiwan that is listed as extinct in the wildby the Red List of Vascular Plants of Taiwan. R. kanehirae seedlings can form mycorrhizae with theericoid mycobiont Oidiodendron maius. A completely randomized experimental design was conductedto investigate the effects of three different O. maius isolates (strains CBS110450, RhYM3, andRooDK1) as well as nitrate and ammonium (inorganic nitrogen) on the growth of R. kanehirae byevaluating height and shoot, root, and total fresh weight. Three isolates of O. maius showed differentcolony morphology and growth rate, which was further verified by molecular analysis. The resultsshowed that application of ammonium fertilizer improved the height and shoot, root, and total freshweight of all of the R. kanehirae seedlings. Among them, seedlings inoculated with RhYM3 had thehighest fresh weights and heights. By applying an appropriate amount of nitrogen combined withRhYM3 inoculation, the rhizome of R. kanehirae grew well. The information provided here iscrucial for the conservation of R. kanehirae, as this species is on the verge of extinction. KCI Citation Count: 0