The Direct Symbiotic Germination of Orchid Seeds in the Field

Mycorrhizal fungi are essential to the sustainability of the orchid population. Due to the minute nature of seeds, the mycobiont that the seedling can parasitize is considered an important element. Mycobionts have now been identified for their role in orchid seed germination. Moreover, many aspects of orchid protocorm and germination biology remain largely unexplored. This chapter introduces protocols for the direct symbiotic germination of orchid seeds in natural habitats, including the acquisition of germination-promoting fungi, preparation of solid spawn, laboratory-based seed symbiotic germination under controlled conditions, as well as greenhouse and field-based approaches. Additionally, it includes methods for re-isolation of mycorrhizal fungi from symbiotic protocorms and assessing their abundance. The laboratory-based techniques are applicable to both terrestrial and epiphytic orchids, while the field-based approaches primarily focus on terrestrial species.