Domestic and international production of Tricholoma matsutake has decreased owing to matsutake forests being left alone, host plant disease, forest fires, climate change, and so on. In order to identify strains that are suitable for the production of T. matsutake-inoculated seedlings, Pinus densiflora seedlings were inoculated with T. matsutake after in vitro rooting and mycorrhization was examined in the roots of T. matsutake-inoculated seedlings after 6 months. The mycorrhization rate was greater than 80% for 5 strains (NIFoS 421, 434, 1681, 1984, and 2001) out of 19 total strains. Seven strains (NIFoS 434, 441, 561, 562, 1016, 1807, and 1812) showed shoot/root ratios of less than 3.0 and had a seedling shoot biomass of 2.0 to 4.8 times higher than that of the root. Eight strains (NIFoS 441, 561, 562, 1016, 1807, 1812, 1984, and 2001) stimulated increases in shoot volume and three stains (NIFoS 441, 562, and 1812) promoted the growth of root biomass by mycorrhizal formation. In conclusion, 4 strains (NIFoS 434, 561, 1984, and 2001) out of 19 total strains tested showed higher mycorrhization rates and seedling growth than those of the other strains. We expect that the use of these four strains may contribute to T. matsutake-inoculated seedling production.

Mycorrhization, Pinus densiflora, Seedling growth, Tricholoma matsutake