Search Results (627)

This study explores the revival of cotton (Gossypium spp. L.) farming in Italy through sustainable practices, addressing economic and water-related challenges by integrating cultivar selection, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) inoculation, and deficit irrigation under organic farming. Field trials evaluated two widely grown Mediterranean cultivars (Armonia and ST-318) under three irrigation levels (I-100: 100% crop water requirement; I-70: 70%; I-30: 30%) across two Sicilian soil types (sandy loam vs. clay-rich). Under I-100, lint yields reached 0.99 t ha⁻¹, while severe deficit (I-30) yielded only 0.40 t ha⁻¹. However, moderate deficit (I-70) maintained 75–79% of full yields, proving a viable strategy. AMF inoculation significantly enhanced plant height (68.52 cm vs. 65.85 cm), boll number (+22.1%), and seed yield (+12.5%) (p < 0.001). Cultivar responses differed: Armonia performed better under water stress, while ST-318 thrived with full irrigation. Site 1, with higher organic matter, required 31–38% less water and achieved superior irrigation water productivity (1.43 kg m⁻³). Water stress also shortened phenological stages, allowing earlier harvests—important for avoiding autumn rains. These results highlight the potential of combining adaptive irrigation, resilient cultivars, and AMF to restore sustainable cotton production in the Mediterranean, emphasizing the importance of soil-specific management. Full article

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) taxa, glomalin protein, and hyphal density are potential indicators of soil functionality of temperate grasslands in marginal environments subject to grazing over the years. This study evaluated how the AMF community composition, glomalin protein, and hyphal density vary in response to grazing intensity (low or high) and seasonality (spring and autumn) in sodic soils of Argentinian temperate grasslands. The AMF community was dominated by Glomeraceae species. Funneliformis geosporus and Glomus brohultii were the most abundant in both seasons and all grasslands. No AMF species were associated with a particular grazing intensity. However, Entrophospora etunicata, Glomus fuegianum, Septoglomus constrictum, and Acaulospora sp. occurred only in spring, and no species were exclusive to autumn. Hyphal density was highest in grasslands with low grazing intensity and can be considered an indicator of soil functionality. Glomalin protein was the highest in spring in all grasslands. The lower grazing intensity in grasslands with poor livestock control showed no changes in AMF diversity. The AMF community showed high adaptation to soil conditions, indicating high resilience. We concluded that longer periods of controlled grazing management are needed to improve soil conditions and, consequently, change the AMF species composition. Full article

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) play a vital role in the restoration of tropical forests by enhancing soil fertility, facilitating plant establishment, and improving ecosystem resilience. This study presents a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of global scientific output on AMF in the context of ecological restoration, based on 3835 publications indexed in the Web of Science and Scopus databases from 2001 to 2024. An average annual growth rate of approximately 9.45% was observed, with contributions from 10,868 authors across 880 journals. The most prominent journals included Mycorrhiza (3.34%), New Phytologist (3.00%), and Applied Soil Ecology (2.79%). Thematically, dominant research areas encompassed soil–plant interactions, phytoremediation, biodiversity, and microbial ecology. Keyword co-occurrence analysis identified “arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi,” “diversity,” “soil,” and “plant growth” as core topics, while emerging topics such as rhizosphere interactions and responses to abiotic stress showed increasing prominence. Despite the expanding body of literature, key knowledge gaps remain, particularly concerning AMF–plant specificity, long-term restoration outcomes, and integration of microbial community dynamics. These findings offer critical insights into the development of AMF research and underscore its strategic importance in tropical forest restoration, providing a foundation for future studies and informing ecosystem management policies. Full article

Sustainable farmland management is vital for global food security and for mitigating environmental degradation and climate change. While individual practices such as crop rotation and no-tillage are well-documented, this review synthesizes current evidence to illuminate the critical synergistic effects of integrating four key strategies: crop rotation, conservation tillage, organic amendments, and soil microbiome management. Crop rotation enhances nutrient cycling and disrupts pest cycles, while conservation tillage preserves soil structure, reduces erosion, and promotes carbon sequestration. Organic amendments replenish soil organic matter and stimulate biological activity, and a healthy soil microbiome boosts plant resilience to stress and enhances nutrient acquisition through key functional groups like arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMFs). Critically, the integration of these practices yields amplified benefits that far exceed their individual contributions. Integrated management systems not only significantly increase crop yields (by up to 15–30%) and soil organic carbon but also deliver profound global ecosystem services, with a potential to sequester 2.17 billion tons of CO₂ and reduce soil erosion by 2.41 billion tons annually. Despite challenges such as initial yield variability, leveraging these synergies through precision agriculture represents the future direction for the field. This review concludes that a holistic, systems-level approach is essential for building regenerative and climate-resilient agroecosystems. Full article

Nitrogen (N) availability often limits primary productivity in terrestrial ecosystems, and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) can enhance plant N acquisition. This study investigated the interactive effects of N fertilization and AMF inoculation on N uptake, plant performance and phenolic acid content in Hyssopus officinalis L., with the aim of promoting sustainable N management in H. officinalis cultivation. A factorial randomized complete block design was employed to evaluate four AMF inoculation strategies (no inoculation, root inoculation, soil inoculation and combined root–soil inoculation) across three N application rates (0, 0.5 and 1,1 g N pot⁻¹ (7 L)) in a controlled greenhouse environment. Combined root and soil AMF inoculation alongside moderate N fertilization (0.5 mg N pot⁻¹) optimized N use efficiency, maximizing plant biomass and bioactive compound production. Compared to non-inoculated controls, this treatment combination increased N uptake by 30%, phosphorus uptake by 24% and potassium uptake by 22%. AMF colonization increased chlorophyll content and total phenolic compounds under moderate N supply. However, excessive N application (1 g N pot⁻¹) reduced AMF effectiveness and secondary metabolite accumulation. Notably, AMF inoculation without N fertilization yielded the highest levels of anthocyanin and salicylic acid, indicating differential N-dependent regulation of specific biosynthetic pathways. The interaction between AMF and N demonstrated that moderate N fertilization (0.5 g N pot⁻¹) combined with dual inoculation strategies can reduce total N input requirements by 50%, while maintaining optimal plant performance. These findings provide practical insights for developing N-efficient cultivation protocols in medicinal plant production systems, contributing to sustainable agricultural practices that minimize environmental N losses. Full article

In recent years, low temperature has seriously threatened the citrus industry. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) can enhance the absorption of nutrients and water and tolerance to abiotic stresses. In this study, pot experiments were conducted to study the effects of low-temperature stress on citrus (trifoliate orange, Poncirus trifoliata L. Raf.) with AMF (Diversispora epigaea D.e). The results showed that AMF inoculation significantly increased plant growth, chlorophyll fluorescence, and photosynthetic parameters. Compared with 25 °C, −5 °C significantly increased the relative conductance rate and the contents of malondialdehyde, hydrogen peroxide, soluble sugar soluble protein, and proline, and also enhanced the activities of catalase and superoxide dismutase, but dramatically reduced photosynthetic parameters. Compared with the non-AMF group, AMF significantly increased the maximum light quantum efficiency and steady-state light quantum efficiency at 25 °C (by 16.67% and 61.54%), and increased the same parameters by 71.43% and 140% at −5 °C. AMF also significantly increased the leaf net photosynthetic rate and transpiration rate at 25 °C (by 54.76% and 29.23%), and increased the same parameters by 72.97% and 26.67% at −5 °C. Compared with the non-AMF treatment, the AMF treatment significantly reduced malondialdehyde and hydrogen peroxide content at 25 °C (by 46.55% and 41.29%), and reduced them by 28.21% and 29.29% at −5 °C. In addition, AMF significantly increased the contents of soluble sugar, soluble protein, and proline at 25 °C (by 15.22%, 34.38%, and 11.38%), but these increased by only 9.64%, 0.47%, and 6.09% at −5 °C. Furthermore, AMF increased the activities of superoxide dismutase and catalase at 25 °C (by 13.33% and 13.72%), but these increased by only 5.51% and 13.46% at −5 °C. In conclusion, AMF can promote the growth of the aboveground and underground parts of trifoliate orange seedlings and enhance their resistance to low temperature via photosynthesis, osmoregulatory substances, and their antioxidant system. Full article

Soil erosion-prone areas require effective microbial treatments to improve soil bacterial communities and functional traits. Understanding the driving effects of different microbial interventions on soil ecology is essential for restoration efforts. Single and combined microbial treatments were applied to soil. Bacterial community structure was analyzed via 16S IRNA high-throughput sequencing, and functional groups were predicted using FAPROTAX. Soil microbial carbon, nitrogen, metabolic entropy, and enzymatic activity were assessed. Microbial Carbon and Metabolic Activity: The Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and Bacillus mucilaginosus (BM) (AMF.BM) treatment exhibited the highest microbial carbon content and the lowest metabolic entropy. The microbial carbon-to-nitrogen ratio ranged from 1.27 to 3.69 across all treatments. Bacterial Community Composition: The dominant bacterial phyla included Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Actinobacteria. Diversity and Richness: The AMF and Trichoderma harzianum (TH) (AMF.TH) treatment significantly reduced diversity, richness, and phylogenetic diversity indices, while the AMF.BM treatment showed a significantly higher richness index (p < 0.05). Relative Abundance of Firmicutes: Compared to the control, the AMF, TH.BM, and TH treatments decreased the relative abundance of Firmicutes, whereas the AMF.TH treatment increased their relative abundance. Environmental Correlations: Redundancy and correlation analyses revealed significant correlations between soil organic matter, magnesium content, and sucrase activity and several major bacterial genera. Functional Prediction: The AMF.BM treatment enhanced the relative abundance and evenness of bacterial ecological functions, primarily driving nitrification, aerobic ammonia oxidation, and ureolysis. Microbial treatments differentially influence soil bacterial communities and functions. The AMF.BM combination shows the greatest potential for ecological restoration in erosion-prone soils. Full article

The biomass allocation patterns between aboveground and belowground are an essential functional trait for plant survival under a changing environment. The effects of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) communities on plant biomass allocation, particularly in degraded Festuca ovina grasslands in ecologically fragile karst areas, remain unclear. Therefore, we conducted a field investigation combined with a greenhouse experiment to explore the importance of AMF compared to bacteria and fungi for plant biomass allocation. The results showed that plant biomass in degraded grasslands exhibited allometric biomass allocation, contrasting with isometric partitioning in non-degraded grasslands. AMF, not bacteria or fungi, were the primary microbial mediators of grassland degradation effects on plant biomass allocation based on structural equation modeling. The greenhouse experiment demonstrated that the selected AMF keystone species from the field study performed according to ecological network analysis, particularly multi-species combinations, enhanced the belowground biomass allocation of F. ovina under rocky desertification stress compared to single-species inoculations, through decreasing soil pH, enhancing alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, and increasing the expression level of AMF-inducible phosphate transporter (PT4). This study highlights the critical role of the AMF community, rather than individual species, in mediating plant survival strategies under rocky desertification stress. Full article

Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi (AMF) form a symbiotic association with terrestrial plants and increase growth and productivity. The relationships between the growth of centipedegrass (CG) and AMF are not well understood. We monitored the growth and AM colonization of CG growing on the four slopes (north, east, south, and west) of a pasture, to obtain information on aspect differences in the soil chemical properties–grass–AMF association. Soil properties almost always varied between the slope aspects. The total soil N, C, EC, and moisture tended to be highest on the northern aspect, whereas the soil available P and pH tended to be highest on the western and southern aspects, respectively. Despite the aspect differences in the microclimate and soil properties, CG grew well in all aspects, showing similar dry matter weights (DMW) for the fouraspects. Furthermore, the AM colonization of CG, in any characteristic structures (internal hyphae, vesicles, and arbuscules), was not significantly different between the slope aspects on most measurement occasions, although the colonization usually varied between the seasons and years. There were no relationships between the DMW and AM characteristic structure colonization and between the DMW and soil chemical properties. However, the colonization of the arbuscules and vesicles of the CG had a correlation with some soil chemical properties. The results suggest that AM colonization on CG growing in a hill pasture did not differ between the slope aspects. This may be a factor contributing to the high adaptability of the grass to all slope aspects. Full article

In this review, we aim to provide a comprehensive overview of the roles of fungi in horticultural crops. Their beneficial roles and pathogenic effects are investigated. In addition, the recent advancements in fungal detection and management strategies (especially the use of spectral analysis) are summarized. Beneficial fungi, including plant growth-promoting fungi (PGPF), ectomycorrhizal fungi (ECM), and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), enhance nutrient uptake, promote root and shoot development, improve photosynthetic efficiency, and support plant resilience against biotic and abiotic stresses. Additionally, beneficial fungi contribute to flowering, seed germination, and disease management through biofertilizers, microbial pesticides, and mycoinsecticides. Conversely, pathogenic fungi cause significant diseases affecting roots, stems, leaves, flowers, and fruits, leading to crop yield losses. Advanced spectral analysis techniques, such as Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (NIR), Raman, and Visible and Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (Vis-NIR), alongside traditional methods like Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) and Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA), have shown promise in detecting and managing fungal pathogens. Emerging applications of fungi in sustainable agriculture, including biofertilizers and eco-friendly pest management, are discussed, underscoring their potential to enhance crop productivity and mitigate environmental impacts. This review provides a comprehensive understanding of the complex roles of fungi in horticulture and explores innovative detection and management strategies. Full article

Light quality and biostimulants regulate alkaloid biosynthesis and promote plant growth, but their combined effects on vindoline (VDL) and catharanthine (CAT) production in Catharanthus roseus remain underexplored. This study investigated the impact of different LED spectra and an arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi-based biostimulant (BS) on VDL and CAT production in indoor-grown C. roseus. After a 60-day pretreatment under white LEDs, plants were exposed to eight treatments: white (W, control), red (R), blue (B), and red-blue (RB) light, and their combinations with BS. Samples were collected before treatments (T0) and 92 days after pretreatment (T1). No mycorrhizal development was observed. VDL was detected in both roots and leaves, with higher levels in roots. R produced significantly higher mean concentrations of both VDL and CAT than W. BS significantly increased mean concentrations and total yields of both alkaloids than the untreated condition. The combination of R and BS produced the highest mean concentrations and total yields of VDL and CAT. In particular, it resulted in a significantly higher mean concentration and total yield of VDL compared to sole W. Total yields increased from T0 to T1, primarily due to a substantial rise in root yield. In conclusion, combining R and BS proved to be the most effective strategy to enhance VDL and CAT production by maximizing their total yields, which also increased over time due to greater root contribution. This underscores the importance of combining targeted treatments with harvesting at specific stages to optimize alkaloid production under controlled conditions. Full article

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) symbiosis has great potential in improving grapevine performance and reducing external input dependency in viticulture. However, the precise, strain-specific impacts of different AMF species on ‘Summer Black’ grapevine cuttings across multiple physiological and morphological dimensions remain underexplored. To address this, we conducted a controlled greenhouse pot experiment, systematically evaluating four different AMF species (Diversispora versiformis, Diversispora spurca, Funneliformis mosseae, and Paraglomus occultum) on ‘Summer Black’ grapevine cuttings. All AMF treatments successfully established root colonization, with F. mosseae achieving the highest infection rate. In detail, F. mosseae notably enhanced total root length, root surface area, and volume, while D. versiformis specifically improved primary adventitious and 2nd-order lateral root numbers. Phosphorus (P) uptake in both leaves and roots was significantly elevated across all AMF treatments, with F. mosseae leading to a 42% increase in leaf P content. Furthermore, AMF inoculation generally enhanced the activities of catalase, superoxide dismutase, and peroxidase, along with soluble protein and soluble sugar contents in leaves and roots. Photosynthetic parameters, including net photosynthetic rate (Pn), stomatal conductance (Gs), and transpiration rate (Tr), were dramatically increased in AMF-colonized cutting seedlings. Whereas, P. occultum exhibited inhibitory effects on several growth metrics, such as shoot length, leaf and root biomass, and adventitious lateral root numbers, and decreased the contents of Nitrogen (N), potassium (K), magnesium (Mg), and iron (Fe) in both leaves and roots. These findings conclusively demonstrate that AMF symbiosis optimizes root morphology, enhances nutrient acquisition, and boosts photosynthetic efficiency and stress resilience, thus providing valuable insights for developing targeted bio-fertilization strategies in sustainable viticulture. Full article

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) play a key role in enhancing plant stress tolerance, nutrient uptake, and overall health, making them essential for sustainable agriculture. Their multifaceted contributions to the rhizosphere—through biofertilization, bioprotection, and biostimulation—have led to growing interest in their application. In recent years, in vitro mycorrhization has emerged as a promising approach for the rapid propagation of economically and ecologically important plant species, offering improved agronomic and physiological traits as well as increased resilience to environmental stressors. However, challenges remain in achieving consistent AMF-plant symbiosis under in vitro conditions across diverse species. This review highlights the potential of in vitro mycorrhization as a controlled system for investigating AMF interactions and their impact on plant development. Various in vitro mycorrhization systems are described and discussed, along with their applications in the mass production of AMF propagules and mycorrhizal plants, and their role in enhancing the acclimatization of micropropagated plantlets to ex vitro conditions. The role of in vitro mycorrhization as an effective tissue culture approach that integrates plant propagation with enhanced resilience to environmental stress is emphasized. The factors influencing the success of in vitro mycorrhization and strategies for the large-scale production of AMF propagules and mycorrhizal plants are explored. Although research in this area is still limited, existing studies underscore the potential of in vitro mycorrhization to enhance plant tolerance to abiotic and biotic stresses—an increasingly urgent goal in the context of climate change and global food security. Full article

Calcium-dependent protein kinases (CDPKs) are crucial regulators in calcium-mediated signal transduction pathways, playing a pivotal role in plant response to abiotic stresses. However, there is still limited knowledge regarding the genes of the Populus tomentosa CDPK family and their underlying functions in response to arsenic (As) stress and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) colonization. In our study, 20 PtCDPKs were identified in the P. tomentosa genome. Phylogenetic analysis categorized these PtCDPK genes into four subgroups based on sequence homology. Motif analysis revealed that PtCDPK genes within the same group share a similar exon–intron structure, conserved domains, and composition. The promoters of PtCDPK genes were found to contain a multitude of cis-acting elements, including light-response elements, phytohormone-response elements, and stress-response elements. The analysis of genes provided insights into the evolutionary dynamics and expansion of the PtCDPK gene family within P. tomentosa. The PtCDPK genes exhibited a strong collinear relationship with the CDPK genes of two model plants, namely, Arabidopsis thaliana and Oryza sativa L. Specifically, 10 gene pairs showed collinearity with Arabidopsis; in contrast, 14 gene pairs were collinear with rice. Transcriptome analysis of gene expression levels in P. tomentosa roots under both As stress and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) colonization conditions revealed that 20 PtCDPK genes had differential expression patterns. Under As stress, AMF inoculation led to the upregulation of 11 PtCDPK genes (PtCDPKSK5, X2, 1-3, 20-1, 24, 26-X1-1, 26-X1-2, 29-1, 29-2, 32, and 32-X1) and the downregulation of 8 PtCDPK genes, including PtCDPK1-1, 1-2, 8-X1, 10-X4, 13, 20-2, 26-X2, and 26-X3. The RT-qPCR results for 10 PtCDPK genes were consistent with the transcriptome data, indicating that AMF symbiosis plays a regulatory role in modulating the expression of PtCDPK genes in response to As stress. The principal findings of this study were that PtCDPK genes showed differential expression patterns under As stress and AMF colonization, with AMF regulating PtCDPK gene expression in response to As stress. Our study contributes to developing a deeper understanding of the function of PtCDPKs in the Ca²⁺ signaling pathway of P. tomentosa under As stress and AMF inoculation, which is pivotal for elucidating the molecular mechanisms underlying As tolerance in AMF-inoculated P. tomentosa. Full article

Although many plant families are predominantly mycorrhizal, few symbiotic relationships between plants and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) have been thoroughly studied. Mycorrhized plants tend to exhibit greater tolerance to soil-borne pathogens and enhanced plant defence. Legumes, including common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), are essential sources of protein globally. To improve common bean productivity, identifying efficient native microsymbionts is crucial. This study aimed to identify native AMF associated with common bean roots that could act as biostimulants and protect against soil diseases under varying environmental conditions. Agronomic trials were conducted at MBG-CSIC (Pontevedra, Spain) in 2021 and 2022, testing combinations of nitrogen fertilization, Burkholderia alba, Trichoderma harzianum, and a control. Traits such as nodulation, biomass, plant vigor, disease severity, nutrient content, and yield were evaluated. Four AMF species across three genera were identified. No consistent pattern was observed in AMF influence on agronomic traits. However, reduced mycorrhization in 2022 was associated with decreased nodulation, likely due to higher temperatures. Surprisingly, yields were higher in 2022 despite lower colonization. These findings suggest that intelligent use of AMF could reduce pesticide use, enhance sustainability, and promote healthier food systems. Continued research and conservation efforts are essential to optimize their benefits in legume production. Full article