Mycorrhizal Fungi Mediated Sustainable Crop Production

Dear Colleagues,

The ubiquitous nature of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi touches upon many new horizons in the modern era of sustainable growing of field crops as well as horticultural crops. An extensive development extraradical hyphae outside the root system of different host plants reach not only the immobilized nutrient reserves of soil, but deposit highly recalcitrant carbon into the rhizosphere deposit, thereby developing a microbial environment, which considered a pre-requisite for sustainable crop production. The extraradical hyphae perform direct absorption of plant assimilable nutrients and pump extra water to deliver to host plants and, at the same time, maintain mycorrhizal proliferation for spores formation. Interestingly, the mycorrhizal hyphae release certain metabolites, such as glomalin, flavonoids, protons, amino acids, carboxylates and so on, forming a special microenvironment, called hyphosphere. These metabolites released by mycorrhizal hyphae regulate the physical, chemical and biological dimensions of host plants as well as soil, in addition to mitigating environmental stresses inclusive of carbon offset property of mycorrhizas. Amidst these functions of mycorrhizas in developing sustainable healthy soil environment for improvised crop production, concerted efforts from the international research community are warranted to tackle these issues more precisely and meaningfully.

We solicit the contribution of your original studies, reviews, and opinions for the Special Issue, so as to further streamline the agronomic and physiological roles of mycorrhizas with emphasis on nature and the properties of the mycorrhizosphere. Manuscripts relating to root endophytic fungi are also welcomed.

We are eagerly looking forward receiving your valuable contributions.

Prof. Dr. Qing Yao
Prof. Dr. Qiangsheng Wu
Guest Editors

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