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Among mycorrhizal symbioses, arbuscular mycorrhiza is one of the oldest and most widespread compared to other types of mycorrhizal relationships. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi play a key role in agriculture by establishing symbiotic relationships with plant roots. These fungi help improve soil structure and fertility, increase nutrient uptake by plants and increase their resistance to disease and environmental stress.
Arbuscular mycorrhiza also contribute to the overall health and productivity of agricultural crops, making them an important part of sustainable agricultural practices. In addition, the use of arbuscular mycorrhiza as a biofertilizer has been shown to reduce the need for chemical fertilizers and pesticides, thus promoting ecological and cost-effective agricultural practices.
Arbuscular mycorrhiza and Rhizobium nitrogen-fixing bacteria from the air can act synergistically to stimulate plant productivity by supplying various limiting nutrients to the plant.
Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi form symbiotic relationships with the roots of most crops, spreading their mycelium in both plant roots and soil and increasing the surface area for nutrient uptake. This can increase the plant's ability to obtain essential nutrients such as phosphorus, nitrogen and micronutrients. The uptake of mineral nutrients from the soil by plants is largely supported by mutual associations with mycorrhizal fungi.
Increased nutrient uptake and improved stress tolerance are some of the mechanisms by which arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi can promote plant productivity. Arbuscular mycorrhiza is probably better functioning in conservative, less intensive agriculture where it supports:
Root colonization by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi increases plant growth performance. Extraradical hyphae of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi can reach the soil volume beyond the zone where the plant can no longer reach nutrients and water through the roots and can reach up to 8 cm from the root surface. 1 g of soil contains up to 200 m of fungal hyphae, which significantly increases the surface area for the intake of immobile nutrients, especially P, N and Cu. Extraradical hyphae thereby expand the rhizosphere zone. In addition, fungal hyphae are much thinner than roots and are therefore able to penetrate smaller pores and extract water in dry conditions. It also improves the efficiency of the nutrient cycle and reduces nutrient losses from the soil-plant system, which ensures adequate availability of nutrients in infertile or less fertile soil.
Arbuscular mycorrhiza could therefore be able to replace the reduced inputs of mineral fertilizers and pesticides into organic systems and at the same time increase productivity in range up to several tens of percent by obtaining more nitrogen, phosphorus and other less mobile nutrients for the plants.
Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi can improve plant tolerance to drought stress by improving soil structure, increasing water uptake, and improving soil water retention.
Extraradical fungal mycelia of arbuscular mycorrhiza can facilitate the formation of water-stable soil aggregates, which are crucial for retaining water in the soil and maintaining soil fertility. Increased soil stability improves water holding capacity, reduces soil erosion, loss of nutrients and organic matter. This improved soil structure helps maintain high microbial activity, speeding up the processbiodegradation of harmful substances and ultimately increases food safety.
Mycorrhizal fungi also have positive effects on plant physiology, often alleviating plant stress caused by biotic and abiotic factors. Arbuscular mycorrhiza can stimulate the synthesis of plant secondary metabolites, which are important for increasing plant tolerance to abiotic and biotic stresses. A plant that is associated with a diverse community of symbiotic fungi may have a kind of insurance against fluctuations in physiological status by increasing the activity of antioxidant enzymes. Arbuscular mycorrhiza alleviates oxidative stress by stimulating the plant's antioxidant system, which enables plants to grow better under stress and contributes to better growth under normal as well as stressed conditions.
Some arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi have been shown to increase plant resistance to certain soil-borne pathogens by competing for space and nutrients with the pathogens or inducing systemic resistance in the host plant. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi can increase host plant resistance or tolerance to root-damaging pathogens. The main indirect mechanisms related to the bioprotective role of arbuscular mycorrhiza in the case of plant root diseases are:
Arbuscular mycorrhiza can act as bioregulators that allow host plants to grow healthier and reduce the amount and frequency of applications of pesticides and other agrochemicals harmful to the environment. These biological processes protect plants from soil-borne pathogens and aid in the removal of contaminants and reduce pesticide application rates through increased crop resistance to pathogens. The use of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi as a safe and sustainable biostimulant and bioprotectant is a very promising alternative, because it does not harm the environment, resulting in sustainable food production.
The use of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in agriculture can reduce the need for chemical fertilizers and pesticides, thereby promoting more sustainable agricultural practices.
Overall, the presence of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in agricultural ecosystems can lead to increased plant yields, improved soil health, and reduced negative environmental impacts of intensive agriculture. They act as biofertilizers, bioherbicides and biopesticides that minimize the negative impact of chemical inputs and subsequently increase the quantity and quality of produced food. Among all soil microorganisms, mycorrhizal fungi are probably the most promising.
