Soil Microbial Inoculants Impacts on Strawberry Plug Plant Growth and Development

The use of soil inoculants to promote plant growth has been widely demonstrated. Of particular interest are vermicompost and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) which have been shown to have stimulatory effects on plant growth due to various mechanisms including increased nutrient availability and uptake, production of plant growth promoting compounds and increased stress tolerance. The incorporation of these inoculants into plug production for strawberries may provide various benefits including increasing the rate of plant development, increasing plant growth and root development, and increasing populations of beneficial soil organisms in the field often lost through fumigation practices.  These benefits to plug plants may be cumulative resulting in improved plant survival and yields, yet there are few studies that examined the individual and integrated impacts of vermicompost and AMF on strawberries. In our study we evaluated the addition of vermicompost, one native and two commercial AMF inoculants and the combination of AMF and vermicompost inoculants compared to a control on strawberry plug plant production. We additionally examined the method of incorporation of AMF inoculant into the plug (mixed with media, top dressed and dip) and two rates (recommended and high) of AMF inoculant. Plug plant rate of development, ratios of root to shoot growth, percent of roots colonized by AMF and nutrient uptake were evaluated and results will be shared.  The potential for vermicompost and mycorrhizal fungal inoculants for stimulating strawberry plug plant production will be discussed.