Abstract
Growing evidence showed that efficient acquisition and use of nutrients by crops is controlled by root-associated microbiomes. Efficient management of this system is essential to improving crop yield, while reducing the environmental footprint of crop production. Both endophytic and rhizospheric microorganisms can directly promote crop growth, increasing crop yield per unit of soil nutrients. A variety of plant symbionts, most notably the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), nitrogen-fixing bacteria, and phosphate-potassium-solubilizing microorganisms entered the era of large-scale applications in agriculture, horticulture, and forestry. The purpose of this study is to compile data to give a complete and comprehensive assessment and an update of mycorrhizal-based inoculant uses in agriculture in the past, present, and future. Based on available data, 68 mycorrhizal products from 28 manufacturers across Europe, America, and Asia were examined on varying properties such as physical forms, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal composition, number of active ingredients, claims of purpose served, mode of application, and recommendation. Results show that 90% of the products studied are in solid formula—powder (65%) and granular (25%), while only 10% occur in liquid formula. We found that 100% of the products are based on the Glomeraceae of which three species dominate among all the products in the order of Rhizophagus irregularis (39%), Funneliformis mosseae (21%), Claroideoglomus etunicatum (16%). Rhizophagus clarus is the least common among all the benchmark products. One third of the products is single species AMF and only 19% include other beneficial microbes. Of the sampled products, 44% contain AMF only while the rest are combined with varying active ingredients. Most of the products (84%) claimed to provide plant nutrient benefits. Soil application dominates agricultural practices of the products and represents 47%. A substantial amount of the inoculants were applied in cereal production. Recommended application doses varied extensively per plant, seed and hectare. AMF inoculant seed coating accounted for 26% of the products’ application and has great potential for increased inoculation efficiency over large-scale production due to minimum inoculum use. More applied research should also be conducted on the possible combination of AMF with other beneficial microbes.
Highlights
There has been a remarkable surge in development of the mycorrhizal-based inoculants market in the last two decades, essentially in horticulture and field crop production.The biofertilizer market in agriculture is estimated to reach USD 2.3 billion by 2022, at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 14.08% during this period [1]
The study shows that commercial Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) inoculants vary in terms of physical forms, species compositions, claims of functions, methods of application and recommendations
All the examined commercial products are based on Glomeraceae and are in three physical formulae, powder, granular, and liquid
Summary
There has been a remarkable surge in development of the mycorrhizal-based inoculants market in the last two decades, essentially in horticulture and field crop production.The biofertilizer market in agriculture is estimated to reach USD 2.3 billion by 2022, at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 14.08% during this period [1]. There has been a remarkable surge in development of the mycorrhizal-based inoculants market in the last two decades, essentially in horticulture and field crop production. Microorganisms 2021, 9, 81 of agricultural interest [2]. They have been linked to several benefits including macro- and micro-nutrient uptake, water absorption, soil aggregate stability [3,4], salinity and drought stress suppression, trace metal detoxification, and protection against pathogens and herbivores [5]. AMF provides these numerous benefits to plants in exchange for carbohydrates and other photosynthetic derivatives [6]. There is a growing scientific evidence proving various benefits provided to crops by the mycorrhizal inoculants in terms of growth and yield, which has attracted much interest from end users. Rising global population with corresponding food demand and a growing concern for the environment has increased the need for bio-fertilization
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