MYCOLab Ai Logo - gold and army green

Gigaspora roseae and Coriolopsis rigida Fungi Improve Performance of Quillaja saponaria Plants Grown in Sandy Substrate with Added Sewage Sludge

Summary

Researchers studied how two types of beneficial fungi (mycorrhizal and saprophytic) can help a Chilean tree called Quillaja saponaria grow better in sandy soil mixed with treated sewage sludge. When plants were inoculated with these fungi and given moderate amounts of sludge, they showed significantly improved growth. The saprophytic fungus alone produced the best results, increasing plant height by over 300%. This approach could help recycle sewage waste while growing useful plants that produce saponins used in medicine and industry.

Background

Sewage sludge from wastewater treatment plants contains valuable nutrients but also presents challenges including heavy metal content and toxic compounds. The use of beneficial fungi has shown promise in bioremediation and improving plant performance in contaminated soils. This study investigates the potential of mycorrhizal and saprophytic fungi to enhance growth of Quillaja saponaria in sludge-amended substrate.

Objective

To evaluate the influence of the mycorrhizal fungus Gigaspora roseae and the saprophytic fungus Coriolopsis rigida on survival and growth of Quillaja saponaria seedlings cultivated in sandy substrate supplemented with residual sewage sludge. The study examined three sludge doses (0%, 75%, and 100% of field capacity) and their effects on plant performance over 11 months.

Results

Inoculation with C. rigida resulted in the highest plant growth with 337.5% increased height compared to control, and 100% sludge dose yielded maximum biomass. G. roseae alone showed highest mycorrhization at 0% sludge, while combined inoculation improved mycorrhization at higher sludge doses. Enzymatic activity (laccase and MnP) increased with sludge up to 75% but was not detected at 100% dose.

Conclusion

The combined application of mycorrhizal and saprophytic fungi with moderate sludge doses (up to 75%) significantly enhanced Q. saponaria growth and enzymatic activity. These results demonstrate the potential of microbial inoculation as a sustainable strategy for utilizing residual sludge as biofertilizer while promoting plant growth in degraded soils.
  • Published in:Journal of Fungi (Basel),
  • Study Type:Experimental Study,
  • Source: PMID: 39852422
Scroll to Top