Mycorrhizal Fungi Inoculation Research Articles

Effect of Mycorrhizal Inoculation on Melon Plants under Deficit Irrigation Regimes

The shortage of good quantity and quality of water for irrigated agriculture is a major problem in arid and semiarid regions. To deal with this problem, deficit irrigation (DI) or arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) inoculation have been proposed and adopted for many crops as a tool to save water, or to improve crop tolerance to drought stress. An experiment was conducted for two consecutive years to evaluate the effect of mycorrhizal inoculation on the physiological, morphological, yield, and quality characteristics of melon plants grown under deficit irrigation. Melon crop (Cucumis melo L. cv. Helios) was grown under field conditions adopting a split-plot design with four replications, where DI was the main factor and AMF inoculation was the secondary factor. DI treatments consisted of applying 60%, 80%, or 100% of crop evapotranspiration (ETc) on melon plants inoculated or not with a commercial biostimulant containing 50% of Rhizophagus irregularis, and 50% of Funneliformis mosseae. Moderate and severe deficit irrigation significantly reduced the relative water content, stomatal conductance, yield, nitrogen applied efficiency (NAE), and fruit firmness of the uninoculated plants, but significantly increased irrigation water use efficiency (IWUE) and the ascorbic acid content of the fruit. AMF had a positive effect on plant tolerance to moderate water stress, and on some fruit quality parameters (fruit length, firmness, and sugar content). The combined use of moderate deficit irrigation (80%) and soil inoculation with AMF on melon plants allows water savings without affecting fruit yield, and increases IWUE, NAE, and some fruit quality characteristics (firmness, SSC, and SSC/TA). Furthermore, the use of AMF plants could be worth it to reduce the yield loss and increase fruit quality, even with severe deficit irrigation (60%).

Coriander (Coriandrum sativum) Cultivation Combined with Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi Inoculation and Steel Slag Application Influences Trace Elements-Polluted Soil Bacterial Functioning.

The cultivation of aromatic plants for the extraction of essential oils has been presented as an innovative and economically viable alternative for the remediation of areas polluted with trace elements (TE). Therefore, this study focuses on the contribution of the cultivation of coriander and the use of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) in combination with mineral amendments (steel slag) on the bacterial function of the rhizosphere, an aspect that is currently poorly understood and studied. The introduction of soil amendments, such as steel slag or mycorrhizal inoculum, had no significant effect on coriander growth. However, steel slag changed the structure of the bacterial community in the rhizosphere without affecting microbial function. In fact, Actinobacteria were significantly less abundant under slag-amended conditions, while the relative proportion of Gemmatimonadota increased. On the other hand, the planting of coriander affects the bacterial community structure and significantly increased the bacterial functional richness of the amended soil. Overall, these results show that planting coriander most affected the structure and functioning of bacterial communities in the TE-polluted soils and reversed the effects of mineral amendments on rhizosphere bacterial communities and their activities. This study highlights the potential of coriander, especially in combination with steel slag, for phytomanagement of TE-polluted soils, by improving soil quality and health.

Effects of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi on Leaf N: P: K Stoichiometry in Agroecosystem

Leaf nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) stoichiometry can reflect plant strategies of nutrient allocation, which play key roles in ensuring food security and maintaining nutrient balance in the agroecosystem. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) inoculation is an effective and green management measure affecting nutrient uptake and utilization strategies, especially in the agroecosystem. However, the interplay between AMF and leaf nutrient stoichiometry that is important for sustainable agriculture remain underexplored. Therefore, the efficacy of AMF in improving leaf nutrients of host plants in agricultural ecosystems were tested with meta-analysis by 1932 pairs of observations in research publications from 1995 to 2022. Overall analysis showed that AMF inoculation increases leaf N, P, and K by 8.75%, 24.61%, and 13.54%, respectively. Moreover, leaf P: K increased by 11.74% by AMF inocula, but leaf N: P and N: K of host plants decreased by 15.38% and 5.52%, respectively. Furthermore, the AMF effect on leaf nutrient stoichiometry was significantly regulated by species, life cycle, and growth habits of host plants. The prominent efficacy of AMF was higher for leaf P in fruit (30.06%), perennial (30.19%), and woody plants (31.6%) than other groups. Moreover, AMF effects on leaf N: P: K stoichiometry of inoculated crops varied depending on the identity of AMF. The Glomeraceae (especially Rhizophagus genera) increased more leaf P content than other AMF families. Thus, the leaf nutrient of host plants significantly increased by AMF inocula, especially leaf P content in the agroecosystem. The effect of AMF on leaf N: P: K stoichiometry was related to plant species, plant life cycle, plant growth habits, and the identity of AMF. These findings highlight the response of AMF to the strategies of nutrient in host plants and provide a theoretical and applicable way for better crop yield and sustainable agriculture.

Combined Effects of Indigenous Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF) and NPK Fertilizer on Growth and Yields of Maize and Soil Nutrient Availability

The excessive application of mineral fertilizers in maize cultivation leads to progressive soil contamination in the long term and increases the cost of production. An alternative to reduce over-fertilization is to perform a partial replacement with microbes that promote nutrition and growth, such as Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF). A pot experiment which was followed by two field experiments was performed with and without the application of indigenous AMF in combination with five nitrogen–phosphorus–potassium (NPK) fertilization rates (100% NPK = N120P60K60; 75% NPK = N90P45K45; 50% NPK = N60P30K30; 25% NPK = N30P15K15; control = N0P0K0). The objective was to investigate whether the soil application of indigenous mycorrhizal fungi inoculum combined with NPK fertilization can provide higher maize yields and soil-available N, P, and K than chemical fertilization can alone. The greenhouse results showed that the application of AMF with a 50% NPK treatment significantly increased the plant’s growth, root colonization, leaf chlorophyll content, and N, P, and K tissue content. The results from the field conditions showed that there was a highly significant yield after the treatment with AMF + 50% NPK. The study also revealed that mycorrhizal fungi inoculation increased the available soil N and P concentrations when it was combined with a 50% NPK dose. This suggests that the inoculation of fields with AM fungi can reduce the chemical fertilizer application by half, while improving soil chemistry. The results suggested that AMF inoculation can be used in integrated soil fertility management strategies.

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi inoculation impacts expression of aquaporins and salt overly sensitive genes and enhances tolerance of salt stress in tomato

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) that establish reciprocal symbiosis with plant roots can enhance resistance to various stresses, including salt stress, but relevant mechanisms, especially at the molecular level, are scarce. The objective of this study was to analyze the effect of an arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus Paraglomus occultum on plant growth, leaf gas exchange, and expression of plasma membrane intrinsic proteins (PIPs), tonoplast intrinsic proteins (TIPs) and salt overly sensitive (SOS) genes in tomato under salt (150 mmol/L NaCl) and non-salt stress. Salt stress for 4 weeks inhibited root colonization rate of P. occultum and soil hyphal length by 0.21- and 0.57-fold, respectively. Salt stress also inhibited plant growth performance and leaf gas exchange, while inoculation with P. occultum significantly enhanced them under salt and non-salt stress conditions. AMF showed diverse regulation of root SlPIPs and SlTIPs expression, among which under salt stress, SlPIP1;2, SlPIP1;5, SlPIP2;1, SlPIP2;6, SlPIP2;9, SlPIP2;10, SlTIP2;2, SlTIP3;2, and SlTIP5;1 were up-regulated by AMF colonization, and SlPIP1;7, SlPIP2;5, SlPIP2;8, SlPIP2;11, SlPIP2;12, SlTIP2;3, and SlTIP3;1 were down-regulated, accompanied by no change in SlPIP1;1, SlPIP1;3, SlPIP2;4, SlTIP1;1, SlTIP1;2, SlTIP1;3, SlTIP2;1, and SlTIP2;5. Interestingly, salt stress inhibited the expression of SlSOS1 and SlSOS2 in non-mycorrhizal plants, while it increased the expression of SlSOS1 and SlSOS2 in mycorrhizal plants. AMF colonization down-regulated expression of SlSOS1 and SlSOS2 under non-salt stress while up-regulated expression of SlSOS1 and SlSOS2 under salt stress. It was concluded that AMF inoculation impacted the expression of stress-responsive genes, especially SOS1 and SOS2, and enhanced salt resistance of tomato.Graphical

From Plant Nursery to Field: Persistence of Mycorrhizal Symbiosis Balancing Effects on Growth-Defence Tradeoffs Mediated by Rootstock

The plant domestication process led to crops with strongly modified growth-defense tradeoff features, and crops that were much more pampered in terms of nutrition, irrigation and defense measures, showing less ability to trigger adaptation strategies with respect to their wild relatives. It is worth noting that plants are not alone, they share their environment with a myriad of microbes supporting them with many relevant functions. We have already demonstrated that an arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal (AMF) inoculum (formed by two AMF species, i.e., Rhizophagus irregularis and Funneliformis mosseae) is able to balance growth and defense responses in two grapevine rootstocks with opposite tradeoff features. In the present study, we evaluated the persistence of AMF-mediated balancing effects under field conditions, confirming the positive impact of the symbiosis in vineyards. In detail, some genes related to nitrogen (N) uptake and metabolism were specifically modulated by the presence of the symbionts, while others were not. Additionally, photosynthetic performances and stilbenes accumulation were influenced by the AMF presence. Overall, our results open new questions about the timing of AMF inoculation in grapevine to obtain a stable and functional symbiosis, suggesting that an early inoculation can facilitate the interaction between grapevine roots and these beneficial microorganisms.

Mixed inoculation of dark septate endophytic and ericoid mycorrhizal fungi in different proportions improves the growth and nutrient content of blueberry seedlings

Despite extensive studies on the interaction between dark septate endophytes (DSE) and host plants, little is known about the effects of mixed inoculation of DSE and ericoid mycorrhizal fungi (ERMF) on plants. We assessed the effects of mixed inoculation of five species of ERMF and five species of DSE on soil factors and growth and physiological functions of blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L. ‘O’Neal’) seedlings. The strains were isolated from blueberries in several regions of Guizhou Province. The fungi suspension root irrigation method was used to inoculate the seedlings. Six inoculation treatments, i.e. D (Cladosporium cladosporioides), N (Oidiodendron citrinum), D1N1 (D : N, 1:1), D1N2 (D : N, 1:2), D2N1 (D : N, 2:1) and CK (not inoculated) were conducted. Samples were collected two months after inoculation. The mixed inoculation of DSE and ERMF significantly promoted the height, stem diameter, shoot dry weight, total biomass, root activity and total chlorophyll content of the blueberry seedlings and enhanced their absorption capacity to mineral nutrients. The mixed inoculation also improved the activities of soil enzymes such as urease and acid phosphatase. The effect of mixed inoculation was better than that of single inoculation or CK. Combining the analysis results of the membership function, we concluded that D1N2 and D2N1 most significantly promoted the growth of blueberry seedlings. These data provide a basis for the potential application of DSE and ERMF mixed inoculation for promoting the growth of seedlings.

Effect of Glomus intraradices on root morphology, biomass production and phosphorous use efficiency of Chinese fir seedlings under low phosphorus stress.

Available phosphorus (P) scarcity in the highly weathered soils of the subtropical forests in southern China is a serious concern. To ensure whether inoculation of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) with Chinese fir (Cunninghamia lanceolata) under low P stress conditions could promote its growth and P utilization capacity, an indoor pot simulation experiment was carried out with the different P supply treatments and Chinese fir seedlings as the tested material. The experiment had two P supply treatments, no P supply (P0, 0 mmol·L-1 KH2PO4) and normal P supply (P1, 1.0 mmol·L-1 KH2PO4). The seedling in each P supply treatment was inoculated with Glomus intraradices (Gi), a widespread species of AMF in the natural environment, and with no AMF inoculation as a control treatment (CK). The Gi infection rate in the root system, root cortex tissue dissolution rate, root morphological indexes and biomass, whole plant P use efficiency, and root P use efficiency of Chinese fir were determined under different treatment conditions. The results showed that P0 treatment significantly increased the Gi infection rate (p< 0.05). After inoculating AMF with different P supply treatments, the root cortex tissue dissolution rate was considerably enhanced. In contrast, the Chinese fir's root length and surface area were reduced; however, the root volume did not change significantly. The average root diameter in the P0 treatment and inoculated with AMF was significantly more prominent than in the uninoculated treatment (p< 0.05). The root biomass and root-to-shoot ratio at different P supply treatments were significantly higher in the Gi infection treatment than in the CK group. Under different P supply treatments, root inoculation with Gi promoted root P use efficiency and whole plant P use efficiency. In conclusion, low P stress condition promoted the colonization of AMF in the root system, increased the dissolution of root cortex tissue, root volume, and the average diameter, and promoted root biomass accumulation and P use efficiency.

Native Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Inoculum Modulates Growth, Oxidative Metabolism and Alleviates Salinity Stresses in Legume Species.

Soil salinity constitutes a major abiotic stress that contributes to soil degradation and crop yield reduction. Using arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) inoculation can help to alleviate these deleterious effects. Most researches on AMF application are dealing with ecological restoration, whereas little consideration has been given to agriculture and legume production. The comparison of the efficacy of two AMF inoculums, one native originating from Algerian semiarid saline soils and one commercial inoculum, was carried out regarding their effects on the growth and the mineral nutrition of several legumes species, Medicago sativa, Medicago falcata, Trifolium repens and Trifolium alexandrinum, cultivated in semiarid Algerian saline soil under greenhouse conditions. Our results showed that native mycorrhizal inoculum enhanced shoot biomasses by 20%, mycorrhizal rate by 30%, shoot phosphorus content by 25% and K+/Na+ ratio by 45% for studied plants when compared with commercial inoculum. The best efficiency of the native AMF inoculum is probably due to the complementarity between the AMF strains which composed the inoculum. Funneliformis geosporum was the most abundant species recorded at the end of the experience in all plant roots especially with native inoculum. Our findings pointed out the effectiveness of native AMF inoculum application to promote agricultural production in semiarid saline soils.

Effects of rice husk biochar (RHB) with combined inoculation of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and phosphate solubilizing bacteria (PSB) on growth of maize (Zea mays)

For optimal plant growth and productivity, agricultural activity is dependent on soil quality and nutrient availability. Soil amendment such as rice husk biochar (RHB), which abundantly found in Malaysia, are capable of improving soil fertility due to its longevity and other benefits to soil biota, including beneficial soil fungi and bacteria such as arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and phosphate solubilizing bacteria (PSB). AMF are well-known for their capacity to improve plant nutrient uptake, particularly P, which is essential for plant growth. Similarly, PSB, which is a beneficial bacteria, are able to solubilize phosphate into soluble form thus enhance the P availability for plant. However, the combination effect of AMF and PSB in the presence of RHB is not known. Thus, in order to assess the effects of AMF and PSB in the presence of RHB on soil properties and maize growth, a pot experiment was done. Randomized completely block design (RCBD) arrangement was applied to the following treatments: T1 (control), T2 (RHB), T3 (AMF), T4 (PSB), T5 (+RHB, +AMF), T6 (+AMF, +PSB), T7 (+RHB, +PSB) and T8 (+RHB, +AMF, +PSB). About 10 t/ha RHB was added to the soils for treatments T2, T5, T7, and T8. Ten grams of AMF inoculum and double application of PSB were applied to their respective treatments. Plant growth and soils sampling were done at 45 days after planting (DAP). Results showed that T7 gave 137% root biomass and 123% P uptake higher than control. Our findings were in line with our hypothesis (application of RHB, AMF or PSB or their combination would improve maize growth compared to control, in which T8 gave highest root volume and 150% higher than control. The results suggested that there were positive and synergistic effects of beneficial soil microorganisms (AMF or/and PSB) either with or without RHB. Thus, these combined inoculations and RHB application could be used in biofertilizer formulations to increase the maize growth and yield in sustainable agriculture system.

Improvement of growth and phosphorus utilization efficiency in Thai rice (Oryza sativa L. ssp indica cv. Chaew Khing) by inoculation of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi under high phosphorus supply

Improvement of growth and phosphorus utilization efficiency in Thai rice (Oryza sativa L. ssp indica cv. Chaew Khing) by inoculation of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi under high phosphorus supply

An experimental setup to investigate the effect of mycorrhizal fungi inoculation on plant water uptake in unsaturated soils

The use of vegetation as a Nature Based Solution, NBS, is increasingly being used for climate adaptation and resilience for engineered and natural slopes. As such it is important to understand the biological processes associated with vegetation and how they could be beneficially implemented. Due to the large repetition required when experimenting with biological components it is impossible to carry out experiments that are highly instrumented. This paper looks at mycorrhizal fungi as a method to improve plant water uptake and presents an experimental setup to allow for a low level of instrumentation in triplicate, with a few being well instrumented. Through benchmarking against TDR-probes, it was found that the method of monitoring soil water content changes in a mini-lysimeter with a loadcell provides a reliable and convenient approach to carry out experiments in three replicates at least.

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi inoculation as strategy to mitigate copper toxicity in young field-grown vines

Frequent applications of foliar fungicides on grapevines increase copper (Cu) levels in soils, which may cause toxicity to young grapevines transplanted to eradicated old vineyards, especially because they are more sensitive. Therefore, it is necessary to adopt strategies to mitigate Cu toxic effects, such as grapevine seedlings inoculation with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), which establish symbiosis association with plants roots, preferably in field experiments. The present study we objective to evaluate AMF pre-inoculation effects on growth and mineral absorption of grapevine seedlings in a field experiment using sandy soil contaminated with Cu. The experiment was conducted in Santana do Livramento (RS), in a Typical Hapludalf soil. Initially, grapevine seedlings from ‘Paulsen 1103’ (Vitis berlandieri × Vitis rupestris) rootstock were AMP pre-inoculated and then transplanted into the field in area containing high Cu levels. Experimental design was a randomized complete block design, with a 4 × 2 factorial scheme: four seedlings pre-inoculation treatments (control = uninoculated seedlings; Rhizophagus clarus UFSC-14; Rhizophagus intraradices UFSC-32; Dentisculata heterogama UFSC-08); two soil Cu concentrations (62 mg/kg and 118 mg/kg (Mehlich-I), with five replications. Pre-inoculation did not favor growth of young vines in field after 316 and 500 days of transplantation (DAT). However, seedlings from pre-inoculated vines with R. intraradices UFSC-32 and R. clarus UFSC-14 presented lower Cu levels in leaves in the soils with high Cu levels. Thus, pre-inoculation of young vines seedling with selected AMF may represent a strategy to reduce Cu toxicity, contributing to plants establishment in contaminated soils.

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi inoculation for coffee seedling production with commercial and conventional substrates

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi inoculation for coffee seedling production with commercial and conventional substrates

Inoculation of Indigenous Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi as a Strategy for the Recovery of Long-Term Heavy Metal-Contaminated Soils in a Mine-Spill Area.

Symbiotic associations with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) offer an effective indirect mechanism to reduce heavy metal (HM) stress; however, it is still not clear which AMF species are more efficient as bioremediating agents. We selected different species of AMF: Rhizoglomus custos (Custos); Rhizoglomus sp. (Aznalcollar); and Rhizophagus irregularis (Intraradices), in order to study their inoculation in wheat grown in two soils contaminated with two levels of HMs; we tested the phytoprotection potential of the different AMF symbioses, as well as the physiological responses of the plants to HM stress. Plants inoculated with indigenous Aznalcollar fungus exhibited higher levels of accumulation, mainly in the shoots of most of the HM analyzed in heavily contaminated soil. However, the plants inoculated with the non-indigenous Custos and Intraradices showed depletion of some of the HM. In the less-contaminated soil, the Custos and Intraradices fungi exhibited the greatest bioaccumulation capacity. Interestingly, soil enzymatic activity and the enzymatic antioxidant systems of the plant increased in all AMF treatments tested in the soils with both degrees of contamination. Our results highlight the different AMF strategies with similar effectiveness, whereby Aznalcollar improves phytoremediation, while both Custos and Intraradices enhance the bioprotection of wheat in HM-contaminated environments.

Integrating Native Plant Mixtures and Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi Inoculation Increases the Productivity of Degraded Grassland

Intense human activities break the grassland–livestock balance and accelerate grassland degradation. We evaluated the use of native dominant species combined with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) in order to recover grassland and restrain grassland degradation. We conducted a full factorial greenhouse experiment to evaluate the interaction effects of native species of distinct traits grass Lolium perenne (L) and legume Trifolium repens (T) with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) inoculation on grass productivity and soil properties across non-degraded, lightly degraded, and severely degraded soils. The grass–legume mixture was manipulated with five ratios (T:L = 1:0, T:L = 1:1, T:L = 3:1, T:L = 1:3, T:L = 0:1). The results showed that L. perenne significantly increased grassland productivity at different grass–legume ratios, regardless of AMF presence or absence. AMF inoculation increased plant N and P content uptake and improved the productivity of degraded grasslands, especially in severely degraded grasslands. The NO3−-N and available P concentrations increased in soil when the legume component increased from T:L = 0:1 (grass monoculture) to T:L = 1:0 (legume monoculture). This may be because the presence of Lolium perenne (L) can promote nitrogen fixation in legumes. Structural equation modeling indicated that grass–legume mixtures directly affected plant biomass, whereas AMF affected plant biomass via providing plant nutrients. A soil quality index based on minimum datasets indicated a significant positive effect of artificial grassland establishment on soil quality. We conclude that planting T:L = 0:1 and T:L = 1:3 combined with AMF inoculation can be used to recover degraded grassland production, and planting T:L = 1:1 and T:L = 1:3 plus AMF inoculation can be applied for grassland nutrient accumulation and stability maintenance.

Effectiveness of combined inoculation of rhizobacteria and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi on wheat performance

Effectiveness of combined inoculation of rhizobacteria and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi on wheat performance

AMF Inoculum Enhances Crop Yields of Zea mays L. 'Chenghai No. 618' and Glycine max L. 'Zhonghuang No. 17' without Disturbing Native Fugal Communities in Coal Mine Dump.

For the agricultural development of dumps, increase in land use efficiency and protection of food security, to verify the safety, efficacy and sustainability of field-applied arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) inoculum, and to exclude the risk of potential biological invasion, in this study, we determined the effect of AMF inoculation and intercropping patterns (maize-soybean) on the temporal dynamics of soil parameters, native AMF communities and crop yields. AMF communities were analyzed using Illumina MiSeq. A total of 448 AMF operational taxonomic units (OTUs) belonging to six genera and nine families were identified. AMF inoculation treatment significantly improved the yield of intercropping maize and increased the content of available phosphorus. AMF diversity was significantly influenced by cropping pattern and growth stage, but not by the inoculation treatment. Inoculation altered the AMF community composition in the early growth stage and facilitated a more complex AMF network in the early and late growth stages. These results indicate that AMF inoculation affects native AMF only in the early stage, and its impact on yield may be the consequence of cumulative effects due to the advantages of plant growth and nutrient uptake in the early stage.

Effect of arbuscular mycorrhizal inoculation on growth, mineral nutrient uptake, photosynthesis and antioxidant activities of black pepper cuttings

Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi are one of most important soil microorganisms that can form mycorrhizal symbiosis with most of the terrestrial plants. In the present study, the effect of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi inoculation on root colonization, growth, nutrition, photosynthetic gas exchange and antioxidant activities of black pepper cuttings were evaluated under polyhouse conditions. The single node cuttings of black pepper were grown in the presence and absence of AM combinations for 150 days under poly house. AM inoculated plants showed significantly higher mycorrhizal root colonization (95%) and spore numbers (312/50 g of sample). The effect of AM fungi was more prominent in improving root biomass than above ground biomass. Nutrient accumulations were higher in AM inoculated plants rather than uninoculated black pepper plants. Amount of acid phosphatase and dehydrogenase activity were significantly higher in AM inoculated soils. Net photosynthetic rate and stomatal conductance of AM colonized black pepper leaves were found to be significantly greater than uninoculated plants. The influence of AM was more prominent on poly phenol oxidase and β-glucanase activity in leaves than roots. In principal component analysis the scatter plot revealed variations of the effects of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi on growth of black pepper cuttings. Based on these results, AM inoculation at the earlier stage of plant development could improve symbiosis, and increased plant growth in the nursery which may improve the performance after planting in the field.

Effect of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi inoculation on the antioxidant property and volatile organic compounds emission by Cymbopogon citratus L.

Effect of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi inoculation on the antioxidant property and volatile organic compounds emission by Cymbopogon citratus L.