Arbuscular mycorrhizal association in coffee

Abstract

SU MMARYDespite previous research on mycorrhizal association with plants, the data on associations with coffee (Coffea species) are very sparse despite the great economic importance of this crop for many tropical developing countries. The present paper reviews the main aspects of the association between arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and coffee plants. This review includes topics on mycorrhizal effects on coffee nutritional status, pathogen-AMF interactions and responses to several environmental stresses. It also summarizes findings about the natural occurrence of AMF in different soils in which coffee is cultivated, some ecological aspects of this specific association and outlines trends for future investigations, which must elucidate the real benefits of mycorrhizae to coffee plants.

Differences in Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi among Three Coffee Cultivars in Puerto Rico

“…To assess this hypothesis we estimated numbers and diversity of spores in the rhizosphere of the three cultivars. Although we were not able to identify species, the morphotypes we found appear to belong to species of Glomus and Sclerocystis [25,27], genera that have previously been reported from coffee [16,45,46]. All the spore morphotypes (except Sclerocystis) were present in all three cultivars, but they were differentially abundant among the cultivars.…”

“…Differences in relative abundance were not obvious and may not be biologically significant. A preliminary phylogeny based on nuclear ribosomal DNA sequences suggested that the Glomus present was related to G. sinuosum and G. manihotis, as expected [16] (data not shown). Thus there was no evidence that differences between cultivars in mycorrhizal hyphal length reflected differences in specificity for AM fungi.…”

“…Although Caturra yields well and produces high quality coffee, it requires more fertilization than Pacas or Borbón [15]. Coffea arabica is usually dependent on arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi [16,30]. We found that extraradical hyphal lengths were significantly lower in Caturra than in other cultivars at all three sites (Caturra < Pacas < Borbón), showing for the first time that coffee cultivars differ quantitatively in their mycorrhizal symbiosis.…”

“…Caturra, one of the most widely planted coffee cultivars in the Americas, is more nutrient-demanding and requires more fertilization than other cultivars [13][14][15]. Coffee was shown to be mycorrhizal over a hundred years ago, but its mycorrhizal interactions are still poorly understood [16].…”

Interference by Palisade Grass on Coffee Seedlings Inoculated with Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi

“…Another related factor would be the dilution effect on the element on the tissues (Giri and Mukerji, 2004;Andrade et al, 2009). Probably, due to these reasons, coffee plants inoculated with D. heterogama showed a lower magnesium accumulation in comparison to those that were not inoculated or treated with C. etunicatum and R. clarus, when under the interference of U. brizantha.…”