Water availability alters the community structure of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and determines plant mycorrhizal benefit
Adam Frew
Abstract
Societal Impact Statement The world faces major changes in rainfall patterns and water availability, posing a significant threat to plant productions systems and food security. The arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi associate with most major crops and can support plant nutrient and water uptake. Here, AM fungi were shown to mitigate the negative effects of low water availability on sorghum growth and phosphorus uptake, an effect that was associated with shifts in the fungal community structure. To realise the potential of AM fungi in sustainable agriculture requires more examination of their interactions with edaphic stresses in crop systems.
Topics & Concepts
EdaphicArbuscular mycorrhizal fungiSorghumGlomeromycotaAgricultureNutrientAgronomyBiologyMycorrhizal fungiFood securityPhosphorusSustainable agricultureCropAgroforestryArbuscular mycorrhizalEnvironmental scienceSymbiosisEcologySoil waterHorticultureChemistryOrganic chemistryInoculationGeneticsBacteriaMycorrhizal Fungi and Plant InteractionsForest Ecology and Biodiversity StudiesPlant Parasitism and Resistance