Abstract
In order to quantify the contribution of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi to plant phosphorus nutrition, the development and extent of the external fungal mycelium and its nutrient uptake capacity are of particular importance. We develop and analyse a model of the growth of AM fungi associated with plant roots, suitable for describing mechanistically the effects of the fungi on solute uptake by plants. The model describes the development and distribution of the fungal mycelium in soil in terms of the creation and death of hyphae, tip–tip and tip–hypha anastomosis, and the nature of the root–fungus interface. It is calibrated and corroborated using published experimental data for hyphal length densities at different distances away from root surfaces. A good agreement between measured and simulated values was found for three fungal species with different morphologies: Scutellospora calospora (Nicol. & Gerd.) Walker & Sanders; Glomus sp.; and Acaulospora laevis Gerdemann & Trappe associated with Trifolium subterraneum L. The model and findings are expected to contribute to the quantification of the role of AM fungi in plant mineral nutrition and the interpretation of different foraging strategies among fungal species.
Highlights
Arbuscular mycorrhizae are mutualistic symbiotic associations between plant roots and specific soil fungi and are formed by more than 90% of all terrestrial plants (Brundrett 2002)
The fitted parameter values and the root mean squared error (RMSE) for the three fungal species are given in table 1
We have provided analytical and numerical solutions to a growth model of the external mycelium of Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi
Summary
Arbuscular mycorrhizae are mutualistic symbiotic associations between plant roots and specific soil fungi and are formed by more than 90% of all terrestrial plants (Brundrett 2002). They may offer several benefits to the host plant, including improved mineral nutrition, especially phosphate, and enhanced growth (Smith & Read 1996). The root-external mycelium spreads several centimetres away from root surfaces into the soil. Many metres of fungal hyphae may be produced per gram of soil (Miller et al 1995) This results in a greatly increased surface area for plant nutrient absorption. A diagram of an arbuscular mycorrhiza is shown in figure 1
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