Integration of mycorrhization and photoautotrophic micropropagation in vitro: feasibility analysis for mass production of mycorrhizal transplants and inoculants of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi

Abstract

In this paper, studies on photoautotrophic micropropagation (PM) and inoculant cultivation of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) were reviewed. The existing issues, which include the lack of a bio-method for improving the environmental stress resistance of plantlets in vitro or ex vitro and the mass production of AMF inoculants in commercialization for PM and inoculants cultivation, were discussed. Based on current knowledge and our analysis, we suggested that the integration of PM system and mycorrhization in vitro (here called mycorrhization-PM cultivation system) is highly feasible. Furthermore, combining mycorrhization with PM system in vitro was shown to be an efficient method for alleviating the injuries of plantlets in vitro and ex vitro caused by environmental stresses and for mass producing AMF inoculants through applying different cultivation strategies. Cultivation strategies for the mass production of mycorrhizal plants and AMF inoculants using mycorrhization-PM cultivation system were discussed.