Effects of Controlled Mycorrhization and Deficit Irrigation in the Nursery on Post-Transplant Growth and Physiology of Acer campestre L. and Tilia cordata Mill

The goal of this work was to assess the effects of mycorrhizal inoculation and deficit irrigation applied in the nursery on the post-transplant growth and physiology of Acer campestre L. and Tilia cordata Mill. For this purpose, 144 preconditioned plants were planted in an experimental plot in northern Italy and were monitored for three growing seasons. Controlled inoculation in the nursery enhanced the root colonization rate three years after transplanting only in Acer campestre. Inoculated Acer campestre showed higher survival, shoot length, turgor potential and leaf gas exchange than non-inoculated plants throughout the experiment. By contrast, in Tilia cordata, no difference in root colonization by mycorrhizal fungi was observed between plants inoculated or not in the nursery three years after transplanting. Indeed, the survival, growth and physiology of Tilia cordata after transplanting were little affected by inoculation. Deficit irrigation in the nursery determined higher survival, growth and CO2 assimilation rate and more favorable water relations in newly transplanted Acer campestre. By contrast, Tilia cordata exposed to deficit irrigation in the nursery showed lower growth and unaffected survival after transplanting compared to plants which received full irrigation in the nursery. The overall results suggest that nursery preconditioning through mycorrhizal inoculation and deficit irrigation can affect post-transplant performances, although their effectiveness depends on species’ mycorrhizal dependency and water use strategy.