Article Details

Scope and Application of Endomycorrhizal Association | Original Article

Nutan Srivastava*, in Journal of Advances in Science and Technology | Science & Technology

ABSTRACT:

Arbuscular mycorrhiza (AM) is the most common symbiotic association of plants with microbes. AM fungi exist in the majority of natural habitats and they provide a number of important ecological services, in particular by enhancing plant nutrition, stress resistance and tolerance, soil structure and fertility. AM fungi also associate with most crop plants like cereals, vegetables, and fruit trees thus, they receive growing attention for their potential use in sustainable agriculture. Basic research of the past decade has revealed the existence of a dedicated recognition and signaling pathway that is needed for AM. Furthermore, recent evidence offered new insight into the sharing of nutritional benefits between the symbiotic partners. The great potential for application of AM has given rise to a thriving industry for AM-related products for agriculture, horticulture, and landscaping. Here, we address new advances in these areas, and we highlight future potential and limitations against the use of AM fungi for plant production. More than 95 percent short roots of most terrestrial plants are colonized by mycorrhizal fungi as soon as they appear in the upper soil profiles. The establishment of mycorrhizal association requires profound morphological and physiological changes in root and fungus. It is affected by other rhizospheric microorganisms, especially by the bacteria. Bacteria may have evolved mechanisms of selective interaction with surrounding microorganisms, with neutral or positive effects on mycorrhizal interactions, but negative effect on root pathogens in general. Because of the beneficial effect of bacteria on mycorrhizae, the idea of Mycorrhization Helper Bacteria (MHB) was developed. Five key actions of MHB on mycorrhizae were proposed in the receptivity of root to the mycobiont, in root-fungus recognition, in fungal growth, in the modification of rhizospheric soil and in the germination of fungal propagules.