Soil microbiology for revegetation, incorporating field inoculation with VA mycorrhizal fungi

Summary

Vesicular-arbuscular (VA) mycorrhizal fungi play an important role in nutrient cycling in undisturbed ecosystems, and it is therefore important to restore them when rehabilitating mine soils.

Stockpiling of soil results in virtually complete loss of propagules in soil stored deeper than one metre.

The loss of propagules is greatest in deep stockpiles stored for a long time.

Strategies for stockpile management have been developed.

An infective inoculum consisting of dry root pieces prepared from fungi isolated from a range of sites was tested.

Keywords: soil microbiology, VA mycorrhiza, revegetation, inoculation