Limited response to nursery-stage mycorrhiza inoculation of Shorea seedlings planted in rubber agroforest in Jambi, Indonesia

We transplanted Shorea selanica and Shorea lamellata seedlings that either had or had not received ectomycorrhiza (EcM) Scleroderma columnare inoculum, commercially available and prescribed as standard practice in nursery, into rubber gardens of different age and plot history. The objective was to assess whether or not absence of fungal inoculants restricted seedling survival, growth, nutrient uptake and EcM formation in the first 2 years after out-planting in Jambi. Inoculation with EcM fungi in nursery had only limited positive effects on growth in height and diameter or N and P uptake, but it enhanced survival in the period 6–24 months after outplanting in all plots. With or without nursery stage inoculation, S. selanica and S. lamellata can be used for enrichment planting or reforestation in Sumatra as the species respond well to high light intensities. Presence of up to five morphotypes of EcM confirmed the availability of inoculum also in second generation rubber agroforests. Internal transcribe spacer sequencing revealed no S. columnare could be identified from the ectomycorrhizal roots of S. lamellata and S. selanica.