scholarly journals The importance of litter quality for the role of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in plant litter decomposition (short communication)

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
E.F. Leifheit ◽  
M.C. Rillig

AbstractArbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) have been shown to positively and negatively affect plant litter decomposition. The use of litter types with different quality and different observation periods might be responsible for these contradictory results. Therefore, we performed a 10-week laboratory experiment with 7 litter types differing in their C:N ratio, and tested for effects of litter quality and the presence of AMF on litter decomposition. We found that decomposition of plant litter with higher C:N ratios was only beginning and was stimulated by AMF, whereas decomposition of plant litter with lower C:N ratios had already progressed and was decreased by AMF. With this study we show that not only litter quality is important for effects of AMF on litter decomposition, but also the stage of litter decomposition.

2016 ◽  
Vol 2016 ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abeer Hashem ◽  
E. F. Abd_Allah ◽  
A. A. Alqarawi ◽  
A. A. Al-Huqail ◽  
M. A. Shah

The role of soil microbiota in plant stress management, though speculated a lot, is still far from being completely understood. We conducted a greenhouse experiment to examine synergistic impact of plant growth promoting rhizobacterium,Bacillus subtilis(BERA 71), and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) (Claroideoglomus etunicatum;Rhizophagus intraradices; andFunneliformis mosseae) to induce acquired systemic resistance in Talh tree (Acacia gerrardiiBenth.) against adverse impact of salt stress. Compared to the control, the BERA 71 treatment significantly enhanced root colonization intensity by AMF, in both presence and absence of salt. We also found positive synergistic interaction betweenB.subtilisand AMFvis-a-visimprovement in the nutritional value in terms of increase in total lipids, phenols, and fiber content. The AMF and BERA 71 inoculated plants showed increased content of osmoprotectants such as glycine, betaine, and proline, though lipid peroxidation was reduced probably as a mechanism of salt tolerance. Furthermore, the application of bioinoculants to Talh tree turned out to be potentially beneficial in ameliorating the deleterious impact of salinity on plant metabolism, probably by modulating the osmoregulatory system (glycine betaine, proline, and phenols) and antioxidant enzymes system (SOD, CAT, POD, GR, APX, DHAR, MDAHR, and GSNOR).


2020 ◽  
Vol 110 (5) ◽  
pp. 999-1009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Golam Jalal Ahammed ◽  
Qi Mao ◽  
Yaru Yan ◽  
Meijuan Wu ◽  
Yaqi Wang ◽  
...  

Melatonin is a multifunctional molecule that confers tolerance to a number of biotic and abiotic stresses in plants. However, the role of melatonin in plant response to Fusarium oxysporum and the interaction with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) remain unclear. Here we show that exogenous melatonin application promoted the AMF colonization rate in cucumber roots, which potentially suppressed Fusarium wilt as evidenced by a decreased disease index and an increased control effect. Leaf gas exchange analysis revealed that Fusarium inoculation significantly decreased the net photosynthetic rate (Pn), stomatal conductance (Gs), intercellular CO2 concentrations (Ci), and transpiration rate (Tr). Intriguingly, either melatonin application or AMF inoculation significantly increased the Pn, Gs, Tr, and dry biomass, and their combined treatment showed a more profound effect under Fusarium stress. Further analysis showed that Fusarium induced oxidative stress as evidenced by increased lipid peroxidation and electrolyte leakage. Conversely, either melatonin or AMF drastically attenuated the levels of malondialdehyde, H2O2, and electrolyte leakage in Fusarium-inoculated plants, and their combined treatment caused a further decrease. Fusarium inoculation decreased the activity and transcripts of superoxide dismutase and ascorbate peroxidase, and the content of glutathione and proline. Besides, the activity and transcripts of peroxidase and catalase, the content of phenols and flavonoids increased after Fusarium infection. Importantly, melatonin and/or AMF significantly increased those parameters with the greatest effect with their combined treatment under Fusarium stress. Our results suggest that a positive collaboration between melatonin and AMF enhances resistance to Fusarium wilt in cucumber plants.


Author(s):  
Linlin Mei ◽  
Xue Yang ◽  
Hongbing Cao ◽  
Tao Zhang ◽  
Jixun Guo

Ecological stoichiometry has been widely used to determine how plant-soil systems respond to global change and to reveal which factors limit plant growth. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) can increase plants’ uptake of nutrients such as nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P), thereby altering plant and soil stoichiometries. To understand the regulatory effect of AMF feedback on plants and soil stoichiometry under global change, a microcosm experiment was conducted with warming and N input. The C4 grass Setaria viridis, C3 grass Leymus chinensis, and Chenopodiaceae species Suaeda corniculata were studied. The results showed that the mycorrhizal benefits for the C4 grass S. viridis were greater than those for the C3 grass L. chinensis, whereas for the Chenopodiaceae species S. corniculata, AMF symbiosis was antagonistic. Under N input and a combination of warming and N input, AMF significantly decreased the N:P ratios of all three species. Under N input, the soil N content and the N:P ratio were decreased significantly in the presence of AMF, whereas the soil C:N ratio was increased. These results showed that AMF can reduce the P limitation caused by N input and improve the efficiency of nutrient utilization, slow the negative influence of global change on plant growth, and promote grassland sustainability.


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