2019 ASHS Annual Conference

The Orchid family comprises of 32,000 species found throughout the world. Approximately 70% of species are tropical epiphytes. Orchid seeds lack a well-developed endosperm. In nature, orchids have a symbiotic relationship with mycorrhizae fungi which supply the nutrition needed for germination. In exchange for nutrients, plants give the mycorrhizae photosynthates for energy. Other than germination, little is known about what types of mycorrhizae are necessary for epiphytic orchid development and what roles they play in developmental stages of the orchid. This experiment was intended to demonstrate the symbiotic relationship between mycorrhizae fungi and orchids during seedling development. The objectives of the experiment were to: 1. Isolate mycorrhizae fungi from orchid roots 2. Determine the role of mycorrhizae in orchid seedling development. Four different orchid species were grown: Dendrobium wattii, Laelia jongheana, Cymbidium devonianum, and Dendrobium tobaense. Mycorrhizae fungi were isolated from the roots of Miltoniopsis orchids, and a commercial product containing four species of Mycorrhizae fungi was also cultured. The different orchid species were grown in sphagnum moss inoculated with the cultures of the two different mycorrhizae fungi. Two reps were planted in three treatments consisting of the two mycorrhizae fungi isolates and a control. Noticeable differences have been measured between the two mycorrhizae treatments and the control. This research may help commercial orchid growers to better transition orchid seedlings from tissue culture.