Besides Sessile oak, European oak (Quercus robur L.) is the most common oak species in Europe and Slovenia. In Volčji Potok Arboretum, there have been attempts to grow European oak, but the survival rate of saplings was low. In autumn of 2015, forty-nine saplings of European Oak of between 4 and 5 m high were imported from Italy. In our research we wanted to find out/if, after one year, the inoculation with mycorrhizal fungi has any impact on survival of the saplings, and, if there are any differences in height and thickness between noninoculated and inoculated saplings. Eighteen oak saplings were delivered in pots and thirty-one with root bales. Saplings of both types were planted and numbered separately. We chose ten samples that were grown in pots and ten with root bale randomly and inoculated them with fungi present in the product ectovit after planting. Measurements were performed twice: before growth when we measured the circumference and height of the trees and after the first growing season when we measured their circumference and their height after one year of growth. All the samples survived the first growing season, which means there was no impact on the survival rate. Inoculated samples showed no significant larger thickness, but they showed significant smaller height increment after one vegetation period.
|