Abstract
Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF) constitute a group of root obligate biotrophs that exchange mutual benefits with about 80% of plants. They are considered natural biofertilizers, since they provide the host with water, nutrients, and pathogen protection, in exchange for photosynthetic products. Thus, AMF are primary biotic soil components which, when missing or impoverished, can lead to a less efficient ecosystem functioning. The process of re-establishing the natural level of AMF richness can represent a valid alternative to conventional fertilization practices, with a view to sustainable agriculture. The main strategy that can be adopted to achieve this goal is the direct re-introduction of AMF propagules (inoculum) into a target soil. Originally, AMF were described to generally lack host- and niche-specificity, and therefore suggested as agriculturally suitable for a wide range of plants and environmental conditions. Unfortunately, the assumptions that have been made and the results that have been obtained so far are often worlds apart. The problem is that success is unpredictable since different plant species vary their response to the same AMF species mix. Many factors can affect the success of inoculation and AMF persistence in soil, including species compatibility with the target environment, the degree of spatial competition with other soil organisms in the target niche and the timing of inoculation. Thus, it is preferable to take these factors into account when “tuning” an inoculum to a target environment in order to avoid failure of the inoculation process. Genomics and transcriptomics have led to a giant step forward in the research field of AMF, with consequent major advances in the current knowledge on the processes involved in their interaction with the host-plant and other soil organisms. The history of AMF applications in controlled and open-field conditions is now long. A review of biofertilization experiments, based on the use of AMF, has here been proposed, focusing on a few important factors that could increase the odds or jeopardize the success of the inoculation process.
Highlights
Soil microorganisms such as arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF or AM fungi) represent a key link between plants and soil mineral nutrients
In an effort to define whether some of the most important factors considered in the reviewed studies have the potential to determine the success or the failure of inoculated Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF) on plant productivity, the proportions of experiments showing a significant increase in colonization, biomass, yield, and nutrition following AMF inoculation was calculated for three important factors (Supplementary Material S3), i.e., the experimental condition, the inoculant origin, and the method of application
Gosling et al (2015), after assessing there was no beneficial effect on plant growth after inoculating diverse communities of AM fungi with functionally different traits, argued that when the host plant is exposed to a single factor, such as during greenhouse experiments, fewer fungal species able to alleviate that stress are likely to provide maximal benefit to the host, while a more diverse community would be required under multiple stress field conditions
Summary
Soil microorganisms such as arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF or AM fungi) represent a key link between plants and soil mineral nutrients.
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