Effect of inoculation with piriformospora indica and sebacina vermifera on growth of selected brassicaceae plants under greenhouse conditions

The effect of inoculation of two root-colonizing basidiomycete fungi Piriformospora indica and Sebacina vermifera on the host plants from the family Brassicaceae (Brassica oleracea, B. napus, B. nigra, Lepidium sativum, Descurainia sophia and Matthiola incana) was studied in a pot experiment. Both fungi were able to colonize all plant species tested but with different efficiency. Colonized plants reacted with increase of fitness, bigger leaves and more side shoots. Plant heights of five inoculated species were higher than of uninoculated controls. Five species had higher dry weight of shoots and four had higher dry weights of roots. The highest stimulation was stated for B. oleracea and the lowest for L. sativum. It can be connected with the intensity of root colonization, which was greater in B. oleracea. In most cases both fungi influenced growth and dry weight of plants similarly but B. nigra and D. sophia were stimulated more by P. indica and B. napus by S. vermifera.