| Abstract: | Interactions between two isolates (Avondhu and CBS) of Tricholomopsis rutilans and ectomycorrhizal fungi (Hebeloma crustuliniforme, Laccaria laccata and Paxillus involutus) were examined on agar medium in the presence or absence of woodchips. The CBS isolate showed more competitiveness than the Avondhu isolate, when paired with ectomycorrhizal fungi. There was an inhibition of the growth of mycelium of the ectomycorrhizal fungi ranging from overgrowth to avoidance. The ectomycorrhizal fungi exhibited hyphal abnormalities such as discoloration, excessive vacuolation and curling. Formation of mycorrhizas by H. crustuliniforme in Pinus contorta and Picea abies was unaffected by the presence of the CBS isolate, whereas a reduction occurred in the presence of the Avondhu isolate. In non‐mycorrhizal seedlings of both conifers, the Avondhu isolate reduced root and shoot dry mass and number of root laterals and caused a lower number of short roots in lodgepole pine. The significance of these interactions between T. rutilans and ectomycorrhizal fungi in paired culture and during symbiosis is discussed. |
