Abstract
Mycorrhizal associations of fungi with established and mature plant roots are well-known to benefit the plant. Mycorrhizal fungi, by penetrating into plant’s root cells and increasing their surface area, improve a plant’s absorption of water and mineral nutrients. In return, the fungi absorb carbohydrates from the plant. Less well known are the effects mycorrhizal fungi have on germination and early root growth. Tiny orchid seeds contain low quantities of nutrients and need early contact with mycorrhizal fungi for germination success. This study asks whether inoculation of lettuce, radish and bean seeds improves seed germination or seedling growth, and whether any effect is seed size dependent. Ten groups of seeds of lettuce, radish and beans were treated with a powder consisting of 11 different species of endomycorrizal fungi while ten seeds for each species served as controls. Seeds were placed in plastic petri dishes lined with paper toweling and provided equal amounts of distilled water. All six groups had 100% germination rates, except for 90% germination in the mycorrhizal fungi radish group. In comparing mycorrhizal fungi treatment groups to the control, average root length in lettuce increased by 12% (p=0.15, t-test), but only by 8% (p=0.71, t-test) in radish and 5% (p=0.91, t-test) in beans. Only the effect on lettuce seeds approached statistical significance. A larger trial with more seeds growing longer might yield significant results. Since mycorrhizal fungi treated seeds absorbed water faster and left drier paper toweling, seed coat proteins may be triggered to absorb water faster, aiding germination.
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Claims 5
Claim · model-written summary
Mycorrhizal radish seeds germinated at 90%, whereas all other groups germinated at 100%.
- Taxon
- radish
Raphanus sativuse0 - Treatment
- mycorrhizal fungie0
- Interactor
- mycorrhizal fungie0symbiont
- Outcome
- germinatione0
- Direction
- lowerinferrede0
- Value
- 90%e0
- Comparator
- controlse1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“All six groups had 100% germination rates, except for 90% germination in the mycorrhizal fungi radish group.”
e1“11 different species of endomycorrizal fungi while ten seeds for each species served as controls.”
Claim · model-written summary
Lettuce root length increased 12% with fungal treatment, with p=0.15.
- Taxon
- lettuce
Lactuca sativae0 - Treatment
- mycorrhizal fungi treatmente1
- Interactor
- mycorrhizal fungie1symbiont
- Outcome
- average root lengthe0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Value
- 12%e0
- Qualifier
- p=0.15e0
- Comparator
- controle1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“average root length in lettuce increased by 12% (p=0.15, t-test)”
e1“mycorrhizal fungi treatment groups to the control”
Claim · model-written summary
Radish root length increased 8% with fungal treatment, with p=0.71.
- Taxon
- radishRaphanus sativuse0
- Treatment
- mycorrhizal fungi treatmente2
- Interactor
- mycorrhizal fungie2symbiont
- Outcome
- average root lengthe1
- Direction
- increaseinferrede0
- Value
- 8%e0
- Qualifier
- p=0.71e0
- Comparator
- controle2
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“but only by 8% (p=0.71, t-test) in radish”
e1“average root length in lettuce increased by 12%”
e2“mycorrhizal fungi treatment groups to the control”
Claim · model-written summary
Bean root length increased 5% with fungal treatment, with p=0.91.
Verbatim
e0“5% (p=0.91, t-test) in beans”
e1“average root length in lettuce increased by 12%”
e2“mycorrhizal fungi treatment groups to the control”
Claim · model-written summary
Fungus-treated seeds absorbed water faster.
Verbatim
e0“mycorrhizal fungi treated seeds absorbed water faster”
e1“lettuce, radish and bean seeds”
e2“ten seeds for each species served as controls”
The same questions in other papers
mycorrhiza · growth · Raphanus sativus (radish)Positive and negative results
1 in the opposite direction
- negative
mycorrhiza · growth · Phaseolus vulgaris (common bean)Positive and negative results
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- no effect
- positive
- positive
18 papers more in this group
See all 22 papers →mycorrhiza · growth · Lactuca sativa (garden lettuce)Positive and negative results
23 papers in the same direction as this paper · 2 in the opposite direction · 1 reporting no difference from an alternative
- no effect
- no effect
- no effect
23 papers more in this group
See all 27 papers →Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.