Articles
Preliminary survey of fungal diversity in pecan orchards of the southwestern USA
Article number
1420_26
Pages
195 – 202
Language
English
Abstract
Scarcity of water resources, high salinity, and alkaline soils limit the profitability and growth of the pecan industry in desert regions, such as the southwestern USA. Symbiotic relationships between tree roots and mycorrhizal fungi may help mitigate these challenges by providing a wide range of ecological services to the host plant, such as increased drought and salt tolerance, improved nutrient uptake, and protection from pathogens.
Furthermore, saprobic fungi play important roles in the soil ecosystem by decomposing dead plant material to aid in formation of soil organic matter, benefiting both water relations and mineral nutrition of plants.
No fungal characterization study has been previously conducted for arid pecan-growing regions of the USA. This study provides a novel survey of the fungal communities found in pecan orchards in the southwestern USA with a preliminary focus on New Mexico and Texas.
With engagement from regional pecan producers, we collected fungal fruiting body, mycelial, and tree root tissue from orchard soils.
DNA was extracted from fungal tissues and Sanger sequenced.
Our sequences were compared with reference sequences from DNA databases and phylogenetic trees were generated to aid taxon identification.
Preliminary results confirmed several species of ectomycorrhizal fungi in southwestern pecan orchards, including Pisolithus tinctorius, Scleroderma cepa, and S. aerolatum. Preliminary results also confirmed saprobic fungal species, including Chlorophyllum molybdites and Agaricus deserticola.
P. tinctorius and S. cepa are both commonly found in commercial mycorrhizal inoculants due to their abilities to aid in water and nutrient uptake. C. molybdites and A. deserticola may decompose decaying wood, such as shredded mechanical prunings from pecan trees.
Through these preliminary results from the first year of this multi-year characterization of fungi present in the region, the important roles these fungi may play for pecan trees and for pecan agriculture at large can be better understood.
Furthermore, saprobic fungi play important roles in the soil ecosystem by decomposing dead plant material to aid in formation of soil organic matter, benefiting both water relations and mineral nutrition of plants.
No fungal characterization study has been previously conducted for arid pecan-growing regions of the USA. This study provides a novel survey of the fungal communities found in pecan orchards in the southwestern USA with a preliminary focus on New Mexico and Texas.
With engagement from regional pecan producers, we collected fungal fruiting body, mycelial, and tree root tissue from orchard soils.
DNA was extracted from fungal tissues and Sanger sequenced.
Our sequences were compared with reference sequences from DNA databases and phylogenetic trees were generated to aid taxon identification.
Preliminary results confirmed several species of ectomycorrhizal fungi in southwestern pecan orchards, including Pisolithus tinctorius, Scleroderma cepa, and S. aerolatum. Preliminary results also confirmed saprobic fungal species, including Chlorophyllum molybdites and Agaricus deserticola.
P. tinctorius and S. cepa are both commonly found in commercial mycorrhizal inoculants due to their abilities to aid in water and nutrient uptake. C. molybdites and A. deserticola may decompose decaying wood, such as shredded mechanical prunings from pecan trees.
Through these preliminary results from the first year of this multi-year characterization of fungi present in the region, the important roles these fungi may play for pecan trees and for pecan agriculture at large can be better understood.
Publication
Authors
M.L. Stock, R.J. Heerema, J. Randall, N. Pietrasiak
Keywords
microbiome, mycorrhizae, soil ecology, saprotroph, symbiosis, arid zone agriculture
Groups involved
Online Articles (45)