Ericoid mycorrhizae influence nitrogen acquisition by Vaccinium macrocarpon (American cranberry)

Authors

  • Julia DeFeo
  • John Dighton

Keywords:

Ericoid mycorrhizae, Vaccinium macrocarpon, Nitrogen uptake, Isotopic analysis, Cranberry agriculture

Abstract

This study examines the role of ericoid mycorrhizal fungi (ERM) in facilitating nitrogen uptake in Vaccinium macrocarpon (American cranberry), a crop of both agricultural and ecological importance in New Jersey. By using isotopic nitrogen (¹⁵N) tracers and controlled inoculation of ERM, the authors assessed whether cranberry plants prefer nitrogen from organic sources provided by mycorrhizal associations over inorganic fertilizer. Results showed that while ERM presence significantly increased total nitrogen uptake, the plants still favored inorganic nitrogen sources, contrary to initial hypotheses. The findings support the benefits of ERM in nutrient acquisition but suggest further research is needed to quantify their specific contribution to organic nitrogen cycling in cranberry agroecosystems.

Author Biographies

Julia DeFeo

Julia DeFeo graduated from Rutgers with a B.S. in biology in
2021, and in 2022 she received a Master’s of Forestry from
Virginia Tech. Currently, she is a forestry Ph.D. student at
Virginia Tech, where her research focuses on the fire-
mediated restoration of native pine-oak ecosystems in the
central Appalachian region of the United States.

John Dighton

John Dighton, Ph.D., is director of the Division of
Pinelands Research and Professor at Rutgers University with
a split appointment between the Department of Ecology
Evolution & Natural Resources, Cook College, New
Brunswick, and the Rutgers-Camden Department of Biology.
Dr. John Dighton is interested in forest soil ecology and has
spent many years investigating nutrient requirements of
plantation forests, especially fast-growing trees and
interactions of forest trees with mycorrhizal fungi. After the
nuclear accident at Chernobyl, he became interested in the
role of fungi in radionuclide acquisition and impacts of
radionuclides on fungi.

Cover of The Undergraduate Review, Spring 2021 edition, from the Honors College at Rutgers University–Camden. The top of the cover features the red Rutgers logo and text reading “Rutgers University–Camden Honors College.” Below is the title “The Undergraduate Review” and subtitle “Spring 2021.” The background image shows a train crossing the Benjamin Franklin Bridge from Camden to Philadelphia, with the steel blue structure of the bridge framing the scene. The volume and issue number, “Volume 2, Issue 1,” appear in white text in the lower-right corner.

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Published

2025-06-13

How to Cite

DeFeo, J., & Dighton, J. (2025). Ericoid mycorrhizae influence nitrogen acquisition by Vaccinium macrocarpon (American cranberry). The Rutgers-Camden Undergraduate Review, 2(1), 12. Retrieved from https://rcur.libraries.rutgers.edu/index.php/rcur/article/view/2205

Issue

Vol. 2 No. 1 (2021): The Undergraduate Review

Section

Articles