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Mycorrhizal Roles in Horticultural Plants

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A special issue of Horticulturae (ISSN 2311-7524). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant Pathology and Disease Management (PPDM)".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (29 February 2024) | Viewed by 20731

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Prof. Dr. Qiang-Sheng Wu

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College of Horticulture and Gardening, Yangtze University, Jingzhou 434025, China
Interests: arbuscular mycorrhiza; citrus; drought stress; glomalin; polyamines
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Anoop Kumar Srivastava

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Indian Council of Agricultural Research—Indian Agricultural Research Institute, Gogamukh 787034, Assam, India
Interests: soil fertility; plant nutrition; nutrient diagnosis; nutrient mapping; microbial consortia and rhizosphere engineering; integrated nutrient management; advanced citrus production systems and precision citriculture
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Prof. Dr. Ibrahim Ortas

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Department of Soil Science, Faculty of Agriculture, The University of Cukurova, 01330 Adana, Turkey
Interests: plant nutrition; mycorrhizal fungal roles in mitigating of climate change; long term field experiments; soil carbon sequestration; soil quality; biodiversity and sustainable agriculture

Prof. Dr. Bo Shu

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Guest Editor

College of Horticulture and Gardening, Yangtze University, Jingzhou 434025, China
Interests: mycorrhizal fungi and fruit disease

Prof. Dr. Nong Zhou

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Guest Editor

College of Biology and Food Engineering, Chongqing Three Gorges University, Wanzhou, Chongqing 404120, China
Interests: mycorrhizal fungi and medicinal plants

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Given the pursuit of high nutritional quality in terms of horticultural products in recent years, the importance of having chemical-free production systems for horticultural plants has become inevitable. In the growth process of horticultural plants, a role as invisible drivers of nutrient chain supply is found in the form of soil microorganisms, including arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, which are able to establish a reciprocal symbiosis with the root system of horticultural plants and provide a possible way forward toward developing a quality-loaded production system.

Mycorrhizae have been shown to greatly enhance plant growth, improve root morphology, promote water and nutrient uptake in addition to increasing stress tolerance and improving fruit quality. With the development of various omics-based techniques, many genes that are specifically induced by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi have also been decoded at the cellular and subcellular levels, strong emphasizing the importance of mycorrhizae in horticulture crops. For example, aquaporins from mycorrhizal fungi and hosts act synergistically towards water uptake, and aquaporin genes in citrus plants can be induced by salt stress and not flooding. These results amply confirm the complexity of the underlying mechanisms in the functioning of mycorrhizae in horticultural plants. The purpose of this Special Issue is to present the recent advances regarding the roles of mycorrhizal fungi in relation to horticultural plants.

Prof. Dr. Qiang-Sheng Wu
Dr. Anoop Kumar Srivastava
Prof. Dr. Ibrahim Ortas
Prof. Dr. Bo Shu
Prof. Dr. Nong Zhou
Guest Editors

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Keywords

aquaporin
citrus
endophytic fungi
fruit quality
fungi diversity
medicinal plant
mycorrhiza
nutrients
ornamental plant
symbiosis
stress tolerance

Published Papers (9 papers)

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Research

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18 pages, 1794 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Impact of Arbuscular mycorrhizal Fungal Strains Isolated from Soil on the Growth, Yield, and Fruit Quality of Tomato Plants under Different Fertilization Regimens

by Wissame Chafai, Kaoutar Haddioui, Hana Serghini-Caid, Hicham Labazi, Mashail N. AlZain, Omar Noman, Mohammad Khalid Parvez, Mohamed Addi and Ahmed Khalid

Horticulturae 2023, 9(9), 973; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae9090973 - 29 Aug 2023

Viewed by 1054

Abstract

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) have emerged as a promising and environmentally friendly solution for sustainable agriculture, offering a reduction in dependence on chemical inputs. The objective of this greenhouse experiment was to assess the efficacy of a natural endomycorrhizal inoculum obtained from leek root fragments, which acted as a trap plant to capture indigenous fungal spores present in the soil of the Guercif region in Morocco. The investigation aimed to comprehensively evaluate the influence of this inoculum on various parameters related to tomato plant growth, yield, and sensory quality. Additionally, different levels of chemical fertilizers, equivalent to 50%, 75%, and 100% of the recommended dosage, were administered in combination with or without the inoculum. The findings elucidated significant advantages associated with mycorrhizal inoculation. The plants subjected to inoculation exhibited increased plant height, augmented leaf and root dry weights, and improved nutrient uptake compared to the control group. Notably, tomato plants treated with 75% of the recommended chemical fertilizer dosage yielded the highest crop production, with no statistically significant difference observed when compared to those receiving the full dosage (100%). Intriguingly, tomato plants grown in substrates receiving 50% chemical fertilizers demonstrated the highest levels of mycorrhization, exhibiting a frequency (F) of 100% and an intensity (M) of 63%. Importantly, the combination of inoculation with a reduced dose of NPK fertilizer (50% of the recommended amount) resulted in significantly elevated concentrations of calcium (Ca), potassium (K), iron (Fe), zinc (Zn), and phosphorus (P) in the plants, attributable to the heightened mycorrhizal colonization of the roots. In terms of fruit characteristics, no significant variations were detected in pH and electrical conductivity (EC) among the treatment groups. However, the inoculated plants exhibited a notable increase in the Brix index, an indicator of sweetness, compared to the control group across all fertilizer doses. Furthermore, inoculation positively influenced the levels of total carotenoids in the fruits. Remarkably, the values of these compounds in the inoculated plants subjected to 50% of the recommended fertilizer dosage surpassed those recorded in the non-inoculated plants receiving the full dosage. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mycorrhizal Roles in Horticultural Plants)

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11 pages, 1422 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Bioefficacy of Lecanoric Acid Produced by Parmotrema austrosinense (Zahlbr.) Hale against Tea Fungal Pathogens

by Kalidoss Rajendran, Ponnusamy Ponmurugan, Balasubramanian Mythili Gnanamangai, Ponmurugan Karuppiah, Mohammed Rafi Shaik, Mujeeb Khan, Merajuddin Khan and Baji Shaik

Horticulturae 2023, 9(6), 705; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae9060705 - 16 Jun 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1222

Abstract

Lichens are symbiotic organisms that are composed of fungal partners and photosynthetic algal partners. During the symbiotic process in lichen thallus, the fungus synthesizes certain secondary metabolites in which lecanoric acid is very important in terms of antibiotic properties. Considering the vital importance of lecanoric acid, the present study aimed to produce lecanoric acid from the thallus of Parmotrema austrosinense lichen using Modified Bold’s basal salt medium and evaluate the bio-efficacy against tea fungal pathogens. Lecanoric acid was purified and confirmed by micro-crystallization method and subsequently bioassayed against tea fungal pathogens. The results revealed that lecanoric acid registered a significant antifungal activity in terms of the growth inhibition of test pathogens. Companion systemic and botanical fungicides were found to be inferior to lecanoric acid in the percentage of growth inhibition. The inhibition rate varied among tea pathogens. Of the tea pathogens tested, tea leaf disease-causing pathogens including Cercospora theae (C. theae), Glomerella cingulata (G. cingulate), and Phomopsis theae (P. theae) showed the highest percentage of growth inhibition followed by stem and root rot diseases. The present study suggests that lecanoric acid showed an inhibitory effect against tea pathogens, which might be due to antibiotic properties and fungicidal action of lecanoric acid. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mycorrhizal Roles in Horticultural Plants)

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16 pages, 1412 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Arbuscular Mycorrhizae Contribute to Growth, Nutrient Uptake, and Ornamental Characteristics of Statice (Limonium sinuatum [L.] Mill.) Subject to Appropriate Inoculum and Optimal Phosphorus

by Morteza Sheikh-Assadi, Azizollah Khandan-Mirkohi, Mohammad Reza Taheri, Mesbah Babalar, Hossein Sheikhi and Silvana Nicola

Horticulturae 2023, 9(5), 564; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae9050564 - 09 May 2023

Viewed by 2238

Abstract

With the world’s population and pollutants on the rise, it is crucial to find sustainable and environmentally friendly solutions that increase production efficiency. Organic horticulture is an effective strategy for creating a harmless and sustainable crop production system. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) have been proposed as reliable biofertilizers for sustainable agriculture, and inoculum production is a rapidly expanding market. AMF can enhance plant nutrition and growth, but their efficacy varies depending on the plant species, inoculum type, and available P concentrations. This study evaluates the response of ornamental statice (Limonium sinuatum [L.] Mill.) to mycorrhizal inoculation (first factor) with Glomus mosseae (M1), G. intraradices (M2), or their mixture (M3), plus non-inoculation (M0), and varying available P concentrations (second factor) of 10 (control, P1), 20 (P2), and 40 (P3) mg kg⁻¹ soil in greenhouse conditions in a factorial experiment based on randomized complete block design with three replications. Root colonization, growth parameters, some ornamental traits, and the absorption of P, N, K, Ca, Zn, and Fe were measured. Root colonization was estimated as 30–65% and was reduced approximately by 32.4% with increasing P concentration in the soil. The lowest colonization percentage was recorded in P3 (45.69, 39.31, and 30.18 for M1, M2, and M3, respectively). Statice plants were positively influenced by inoculation, especially with G. mosseae in moderately available P (P2), which was also confirmed by the results of the principal component analysis. Overall, inoculated plants exhibited better nutritional status, growth, and ornamental traits than non-inoculated plants. Furthermore, mycorrhization delayed the time to the flowering of statice by 12, 7, and 9 days in M1, M2, and M3, respectively, compared to non-mycorrhizal (M0) plants. In conclusion, mycorrhizal inoculation can improve the plant nutrition, growth, and ornamental value of statice by selecting appropriate inoculum and optimal P concentrations. The results of this study suggest that mycorrhizal inoculation can be effectively used in the future to increase the quantity and quality of statice production. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mycorrhizal Roles in Horticultural Plants)

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16 pages, 3593 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Correlations between the Phylogenetic Relationship of 14 Tulasnella Strains and Their Promotion Effect on Dendrobium crepidatum Protocorm

by Jiayi Zhao, Zhenjian Li, Siyu Wang, Fu Yang, Lubin Li and Lei Liu

Horticulturae 2022, 8(12), 1213; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae8121213 - 17 Dec 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1494

Abstract

The compatibility of mycorrhizal fungi with the early growth stage of orchids is essential for their growth. In this study, the compatibility and promotion effects of 14 Tulasnella strains from different hosts were studied by co-culturing them with the protocorms of Dendrobium crepidatum, which has high ornamental and economic value in China. The ITS–LSU–SSU–TEF combined sequence analysis divided the 14 strains into three clades belonging to Tulasnella calospora (clades A and B) and Tulasnella asymmetrica (clade C). All the strains were compatible with D. crepidatum protocorms within 90 d of the co-culture. Strain T12 in Clade A had a significantly higher (p < 0.05) effect on the biomass and morphology of D. crepidatum, and strain T13 in Clade C had a significantly lower (p < 0.05) effect than the other strains. Through morphological principal component analysis, we constructed a hierarchical cluster analysis tree, which was consistent with the phylogenetic tree of these 14 strains at the clade level. Orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis showed that these strains have an important effect on the plant height, root number, and length of D. crepidatum. The findings of this study will contribute to the identification of Tulasnella strains, conservation of D. crepidatum resources, and commercial utilization of mycorrhizal technology. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mycorrhizal Roles in Horticultural Plants)

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11 pages, 1978 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Use of Piriformospora indica to Promote Growth of Strawberry Daughter Plants

by Wei Liu, Min Tan, Pengyan Qu, Chensi Huo, Wenjie Liang, Runlin Li, Yan Jia, Xinping Fan and Chunzhen Cheng

Horticulturae 2022, 8(5), 370; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae8050370 - 23 Apr 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2270

Abstract

As an endophytic fungus, the growth-promoting effects of Piriformospora indica have been widely confirmed in many of its host plants. In this study, we investigated the influences of P. indica colonization on the growth of the daughter plants of two strawberry cultivars, ‘Benihoppe’ and ‘Sweet Charlie.’ The results showed that the fungus colonization significantly promoted the growth of the daughter plants of both of the two strawberry varieties. Its colonization greatly improved almost all of the growth parameters of the ‘Benihoppe’ daughter plants, including the above-ground fresh weight, above-ground dry weight, root fresh weight, root dry weight, plant height, petiole length, leaf area, number of roots and chlorophyll content. However, the fungus colonization showed significant improving effects on only the above-ground fresh weight, root fresh weight and root dry weight of ‘Sweet Charlie.’ Surprisingly, the average root length of ‘Benihoppe’ and ‘Sweet Charlie’ was suppressed by about 14.3% and 24.6%, respectively, by P. indica. Moreover, after P. indica colonization, the leaf nitrate reductase activity and root activity upregulated by 30.12% and 12.74%, and 21.85% and 21.16%, respectively, for the ‘Benihoppe’ and ‘Sweet Charlie’ daughter plants. Our study indicated that P. indica could promote the growth of strawberry daughter plants by improving rooting, strengthening photosynthetic pigments production and nutrient absorption and accelerating biomass accumulation. The fungus shows great potential to be used in the strawberry industry, especially in the breeding of daughter plants. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mycorrhizal Roles in Horticultural Plants)

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17 pages, 2870 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Tolerance and Recovery Capacity to Reclaimed Wastewater Irrigation of Salvia officinalis and Asteriscus maritimus Plants Inoculated with Arbuscular Mycorrhizae

by Beatriz Lorente, Laura Pulido-Suárez, María Fernanda Ortuño and María Jesús Sánchez-Blanco

Horticulturae 2022, 8(2), 159; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae8020159 - 12 Feb 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1541

Abstract

This work attempts to identify which of two species with different levels of salinity tolerance, Salvia officinalis L. or Asteriscus maritimus L., is more suitable for irrigation with reclaimed wastewater, as well as the effect of the arbuscular mycorrhiza Glomus iranicum on the plant. The experiment was carried out in a growth chamber with a first phase, where both species were irrigated with good quality water, a second phase in which the plants were irrigated with reclaimed wastewater, and a third phase in which the plants were irrigated with good quality water again (recovery). Salinity caused a reduction in leaf water potential, stomatal conductance and net photosynthesis in both species. The percentage of mycorrhization was higher in Asteriscus than in Salvia, mitigating the decrease in leaf water potential. There was osmotic adjustment in Salvia, although the proline content increased in both species. The damages produced were clearer in Salvia, in which lipid peroxidation values were higher. Likewise, the visual appearance of the leaves showed symptoms of toxicity in this species, although the mycorrhizae diminished these effects. Irrigation with good quality water induced the recovery of lipid peroxidation in both species, as well as the appearance of new leaves in Salvia. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mycorrhizal Roles in Horticultural Plants)

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17 pages, 1923 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Effect of Microbial Fertilizer on the Growth, Rhizospheric Environment and Medicinal Quality of Fritillaria taipaiensis

by Nong Zhou, Maojun Mu, Min Yang, You Zhou and Mingguo Ma

Horticulturae 2021, 7(11), 500; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae7110500 - 15 Nov 2021

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2082

Abstract

Fritillaria taipaiensis is a valuable traditional Chinese medicinal plant affected by germplasm degradation during cultivation. To find a suitable solution for this problem, F. taipaiensis was inoculated with exogenous arbuscular mycorrhiza (AM) fungi, potassium-solubilizing bacteria, and phosphorus-solubilizing bacteria in pot experiments. The effects of inoculation on the AM colonization, photosynthetic pigment, and superoxide dismutase contents, rhizospheric enzyme activities, alkaloid, and nucleotide content of F. taipaiensis were studied. The results showed that the inoculation increased mycorrhizal infection intensity of F. taipaiensis. Compared to the control group, the photosynthetic pigment contents in the leaf of the inoculation groups were increased; the content of soluble protein, the activities of the superoxide dismutase, catalase, and peroxidase in leaves were all significantly increased, and the content of malondialdehyde was decreased. The microbial inoculum also increased the content of active ingredients in F. taipaiensis bulbs and increased the enzyme activities, total microorganism number, bacteria/fungi, and actinomycetes/fungi ratios in the rhizosphere. To sum up, microbial fertilizer can significantly improve the rhizospheric environment and medicinal quality of F. taipaiensis. This research provides a theoretical basis and experimental evidence for the sustainable development of an F. taipaiensis industry. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mycorrhizal Roles in Horticultural Plants)

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12 pages, 1049 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperEditor’s ChoiceReview

Unraveling the Interaction between Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi and Camellia Plants

by Rui-Cheng Liu, Zhi-Yan Xiao, Abeer Hashem, Elsayed Fathi Abd_Allah, Yong-Jie Xu and Qiang-Sheng Wu

Horticulturae 2021, 7(9), 322; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae7090322 - 17 Sep 2021

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 3796

Abstract

Camellia is a genus of evergreen shrubs or trees, such as C. japonica, C. sinensis, C. oleifera, etc. A group of beneficial soil microorganisms, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), inhabit the rhizosphere of these Camellia spp. A total of eight genera of Acaulospora, Entrophospora, Funneliformis, Gigaspora, Glomus, Pacispora, Scutellospora, and Sclerocystis were found to be associated with Camellia plants with Glomus and/or Acaulospora being most abundant. These mycorrhizal fungi can colonize the roots of Camellia spp. and thus form arbuscular mycorrhizal symbionts. AMF is an important partner of Camellia spp. in the field of physiological activities. Studies indicated that AMF inoculation has been shown to promote plant growth, improve nutrient acquisition and nutritional quality, and increase resistance to drought, salinity and heavy metal contamination in potted Camellia. This review thus provides a comprehensive overview of AMF species occurring in the rhizosphere of Camellia spp. and summarizes the variation in root AMF colonization rate as well as the environmental factors and soil nutrients affecting root colonization. The paper also reviews the effects of AMF on plant growth response, nutrient acquisition, food quality, and stress tolerance of Camellia spp. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mycorrhizal Roles in Horticultural Plants)

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11 pages, 1428 KiB

Open AccessBrief Report

Effect of Glyphosate and Carbaryl Applications on Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) Biomass and Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF) Root Colonization in Organic Soil

by Ariel Freidenreich, Saoli Chanda, Sanku Dattamudi and Krishnaswamy Jayachandran

Horticulturae 2022, 8(5), 415; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae8050415 - 07 May 2022

Viewed by 3141

Abstract

Pesticide application in horticultural crops has recently multiplied to increase crop yields and boost economic return. Consequently, the effects of pesticides on soil organisms and plant symbionts is an evolving subject of research. In this short-term study, we evaluated the effects of glyphosate (herbicide) and carbaryl (insecticide) on okra biomass and AMF root colonization in both shade house and field settings. An additional treatment, the combination of glyphosate and carbaryl, was applied in the field trial. Soil and root samples were collected three times during the experiment: 30 days after planting (before first spray, or T0), 45 days after planting (before second spray, or T1), and at full maturity (at 66 days after planting, or T2). Our results indicate that glyphosate and combined treatments were most effective in controlling weeds and produced almost 40% higher okra biomass than the control. There was a ~40% increase in AMF root colonization in glyphosate-treated plots from T0 to T1. This result was likely due to high initial soil P content, high soil temperature, and low rainfall, which aided in the rapid degradation of glyphosate in the soil. However, at T2 (second spray), high rainfall and the presence of excess glyphosate resulted in a 15% reduction in AMF root colonization when compared to T1. We found carbaryl had little to negligible effect on AMF root colonization. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mycorrhizal Roles in Horticultural Plants)

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