Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi inhabiting soil play an important role for vascular plants. Interaction between arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, plants and soil microorganisms leads to many mutual advantages. However, the effectiveness of mycorrhizal fungi depends not only on biotic, but also abiotic factors such as physico-chemical properties of the soil, availability of water and biogenic elements, agricultural practices, and climatic conditions. First of all, it is important to adapt the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi species to changing environmental conditions. The compactness of the soil and its structure have a huge impact on its biological activity. Soil pH reaction has a substantial impact on the mobility of ions in soil dilutions and their uptake by plants and soil microflora. Water excess can be a factor negatively affecting arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi because these microorganisms are sensitive to a lower availability of oxygen. Mechanical cultivation of the soil has a marginal impact on the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi spores. However, soil translocation can cause changes to the population of the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi abundance in the soil profile. The geographical location and topographic differentiation of cultivated soils, as well as the variability of climatic factors affect the population of the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in the soils and their symbiotic activity.

Mycorrhizal symbiosis is known since the 19th century and has been described as the coexistence of fungus with the roots of vascular plants. Root colonization by endomycorrhizal fungi causes changes in the quantity and quality of exudates produced by roots. The mycorrhiza may also affect plants' health status, their competitiveness and succession in eco-systems, and the formation of soil aggregates. The presence of a symbiont in the roots of plants causes a direct and indirect effect on rhizosphere microorganisms, fixing free nitrogen and transforming compounds constituting nutrient substrates for plants. The physiological and morphological relations of AMF with the plant promote its vitality and competitiveness by increasing resistance to abiotic and biotic stresses. Effective activation of the plant immune responses may occur, not only locally but also systemically. Mycorrhizal fungi, through the change of the composition and amount of root exudates, have influence on the development and activity of the communities of soil microorganisms. Certain soil bio-controlling microorganisms frequently showing synergism of the protective effect on plants together with AMF. In some cases, however, no positive interaction of selected microorganisms and endomycorrhizal fungi is observed. Double inoculation with the some species of bacteria and the mycorrhizal fungus can cause a decrease in the yielding the plants. Mycoparasitism of AMF spores and hyphae is also encountered in interaction between saprophytic fungi and AMF. This phenomenon is based on the lytic abilities of some fungi species which can lower the level of colonization and the effectiveness of mycorrhizal symbiosis with plants. Good knowledge of plant symbiosis with endomycorrhizal fungi and activity of these fungi in soils is necessary for their use in plant production.

One of the new methods of protecting and supporting plant growth is the use of low-temperature plasma. The aim of this study is to evaluate the feasibility of using plasma activated water produced in an atmospheric pressure gliding arc reactor for germination of beetroot (Beta vulgaris) and carrot (Daucus carota) seeds. The study was carried out for different plasma treatment times of water (5, 10 and 20 min) and with fixed geometry and power of the discharge system, using air as the working gas. The effect on germination was evaluated based on the fraction of germinated seeds and their length at 7 and 14 days after treatment. Analysis of fungi present on the seed surface and imaging of the seed surface using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were auxiliary methods to evaluate the type of treatment effect. In the case of beetroot, a positive effect on the number and length of germinated seeds was observed, which increased with increasing treatment time. This effect can be attributed, among other things, to the surface changes observed on microscopic photographs. In the case of carrot seeds, a more significant positive effect on germination was observed. Fungal decontamination effect was relatively weaker than with the use of the chemical method with sodium hypochlorite.

The aim of the study was to evaluate the influence of mycorrhizal fungi (MF) and irrigation on biological properties of sweet pepper rhizosphere in organic field cultivation. For this purpose, MF were applied to plants in the form of commercial mycorrhizal inoculum (Rhizophagus aggregatus, R. intraradices, Claroideoglomus etunicatum, Endogone mosseae, Funneliformis caledonium, and Gigaspora margarita) and irrigation according to the combinations: mycorrhized plants (PM), mycorrhized and irrigated plants (PMI), and irrigated plants (PI). Plants without MF and irrigation served as the absolute control (P). The study used classic and molecular techniques, assessing catalase activity, biodiversity of soil microorganisms (soil DNA analysis), and the Community-Level Physiological Profiles (CLPP) analysis using Biolog EcoPlates. The highest catalase activity was recorded in the control and mycorrhized soil sample. The highest total number of bacteria was noted in the rhizosphere of control plants (P) and irrigated plants, while the lowest number in the rhizosphere of mycorrhized and irrigated plants. Plant irrigation contributed to the increase in the total number of fungi in the rhizosphere. The rhizospheric soil of PM and PMI were characterized by the highest utilization of amines, amides, and amino acids, whereas the lowest level of utilization was detected in the P and PI rhizospheres. The highest biodiversity and metabolic activity were observed in the rhizospheres from the PMI and PM samples, whereas lower catabolic activity were recorded in the P and PI rhizospheres. The mycorrhization of crops improved the biological properties of the rhizosphere, especially under conditions of drought stress.

The efficacy of Aureobasidium pullulans (in the biopreparation Boni Protect) against different pathogens of apples (Botrytis cinerea, Monilinia fructigena, Penicillium expansum, and Pezicula malicorticis) was evaluated under laboratory con- ditions. The biocontrol product was applied at concentrations of 0.05%, 0.1%, and 0.5%. Fruits of apple cultivars 'Jonagold Decosta' and 'Pinova' were used. Boni Protect was very effective against B. cinerea on cv. 'Jonagold Decosta', reducing disease incidence by 55–83.8%. On 'Pinova' apples, this biological control product was the most efficient at earlier stages of the experiment. It inhibited grey mold by 65% after 5 days from inoculation and only by 14% after 20 days. On cv. 'Jonagold Decosta', Boni Protect at a concentration of 0.1% was also effective against M. fructigena, reducing brown rot by 31.4–74.5%, but its efficiency on cv. 'Pinova' was not significant. Blue mold caused by P. expansum was inhibited only slightly by the biocontrol product, while P. malicorticis proved to be the most resistant to its antagonistic abilities

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Sustainable and organic plant production uses natural products and natural self-regulation processes occurring in the ecosystem. The awareness is growing and the demands of consumers are higher and higher. One solution is to use various methods, as an alternative to pesticides. It is also very important to care for the stored crops after harvesting especially using non-chemical methods. The physical method of plant protection consists in treating the harmful organism with physical factors such as temperature, its same light and radiation, controlled atmosphere, special packaging, pressure, various sounds, ozone, and low-temperature plasma. The availability of effective application techniques opens up new possibilities for the storage of crops in order to maintain their health and quality for a long time. This review focuses on the analysis of physical methods of postharvest protection, especially the latest methods using ozone and low-temperature plasma. As a result, consumers of agricultural crops will be able to consume food free of insects, mycotoxins and pesticide residues.

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