Growth Effect of Cinnamomum kanehirae Cuttings Associated with its Dark Septate Endophytes

Stout camphor tree (Cinnamomum kanehirae Hay.) is an endemic specie in Taiwan and cutting is the major propagation of C. kanehirae for plantation. Mycorrhiza can accelerate the growth of the host plant, especially in root of the host plant. The objective of this study was to investigate the growth effect of the 2 dark septate endophytes isolated from C. kanehirae.

To measure the effects of stains CkDB2 and CkDB5 on growth performance of cuttings, the cuttings were carefully removed from their substrate after 9 months of incubation. Each treatment had three replicates.

After 9 month incubation, the mycorrhizal synthesis experiment showed that the roots of synthesized cuttings produced microsclerotia, a characteristic of dark septate endophyte, but nothing was found in the control. All inoculated cuttings had higher values of net height growth, dry weight, leaf area and chlorophyll concentration than the control.

This study demonstrated that the 2 endophytes, strains CkDB2 and CkDB5, capable of forming microsclerotia with C. kanehirae cuttings were dark septate endophytes. Based on the results, CkDB5 had a better growth response than CkDB2. Cuttings inoculated with CkDB5 showed a 200% increase in the root dry weight and therefore, CkDB5 could presumably be a prerequisite for the survival of C. kanehirae cutting plantation.