Accumulation of Health-Promoting Compounds in Upland Black Rice by Interacting Mycorrhizal and Endophytic Fungi

Abstract

There is an increasing interest in finding eco-friendly and safe approaches to increase agricultural productivity and deliver healthy foods. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and endophytic fungi (EPF) are important components of sustainable agriculture in view of their ability to increase productivity and various plant secondary metabolites with health-promoting effects. In a pot experiment, our main research question was to evaluate the additive and synergistic effects of an AMF and four root-endophytic fungi on plant performance and on the accumulation of health-promoting secondary compounds. Plant growth varied between the treatments with both single inoculants and co-inoculation of an AMF and four EPF strains. We found that inoculation with a single EPF positively affected the growth and biomass production of most of the plant-endophyte consortia examined. The introduction of AMF into this experiment (dual inoculation) had a beneficial effect on plant growth and yield. AMF, Rhizophagus variabilis KS-02 co-inoculated with EPF, Trichoderma zelobreve PBMP16 increased the highest biomass, exceeding the growth rate of non-inoculated plants. Co-inoculated R. variabilis KS-02 and T. zelobreve PBMP16 had significantly greater beneficial effects on almost all aspects of plant growth, photosynthesis-related parameters, and yield. It also promoted root growth quality and plant nutrient uptake. The phenolic compounds, anthocyanin, and antioxidant capacity in rice seeds harvested from plants co-inoculated with AMF and EPF were dramatically increased compared with those from non-inoculated plants. In conclusion, our results indicated that EPF and AMF contributed to symbiosis in Maled Phai cultivar and were coordinately involved in promoting plant growth performance under a pot trial.

Endophytic Fungi in Rice Plants and Their Prospective Uses

“…The fungal endophyte Diaporthe liquidambaris can promote chlorophyll biosynthesis and water-soluble carbohydrate accumulation in rice roots under low N conditions [85]. Endophytic fungi Trichoderma zelobreve PBMP16 had a positive effect on upland rice growth and increased the phenolic compounds, anthocyanin, antioxidants, and nutrient N uptake of rice plant compared with those of the non-inoculated control [86,87]. The DSE isolates had the potential for the promotion of rice plant growth to increase the tillering, nutrient N and P uptake, accumulation of nutrients, and growth [71,74].…”