The Potential Roles of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi in Soil Health and Conservation

Abstract

Soil is an indispensable resource of the terrestrial ecosystem that provides manifold ecosystem services. Soil functions include regulation of nutrient cycle aided by armies of decomposers present in the soil, anchorage of plants and facilitation of their growth, sustenance of water quality, and regulation of water filtration, air quality, and temperature. Soil health is tightly correlated with sustainable agriculture, owing to the multitudinous microflora and fauna residing in the soil whose activity is instrumental to soil welfare. Maintenance of soil structure and quality is, thus, crucial for facilitating rapid plant growth so that the lag between food production and exponential population growth can be bridled. Regarding this, a major group of soil-dwelling fungus, i.e., Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi (AMF), regulate soil quality and ecological interactions operating therein. This review pays attention to the AMF-secreted miracle glycoprotein −”glomalin” that considerably influences soil dynamics. The major takeaway is that mycorrhizal association in the rhizosphere improves soil quality by regulating soil aggregation, tilth and fertility, and enriching soil organic carbon pool. Besides, mycorrhiza-mediated amelioration of contaminated soil, which reflects a prominent role of AMF in ecosystem functioning, is also discussed. Along these lines, further studies should target the functional ecology of AMF in agro-ecosystems, and bioprospecting of more AMF strains should be done to completely harness their potential in biocontrol, bioremediation, and soil conservation.