Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) enhanced the growth, yield, fiber quality and phosphorus regulation in upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.)

Abstract

We previously reported on the strong symbiosis of AMf species (Rhizophagus irregularis CD1) with the cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) which is grown worldwide. in current study, it was thus investigated in farmland to determine the biological control effect of AMF on phosphorus acquisition and related gene expression regulation, plant growth and development, and a series of agronomic traits associated with yield and fiber quality in cotton. When AMF and cotton were symbiotic, the expression of the specific phosphate transporter family genes and P concentration in the cotton biomass were significantly enhanced. The photosynthesis, growth, boll number per plant and the maturity of the fiber were increased through the symbiosis between cotton and AMf. Statistical analysis showed a highly significant increase in yield for inoculated plots compared with that from the non inoculated controls, with an increase percentage of 28.54%. These findings clearly demonstrate here the benefits of AMFbased inoculation on phosphorus acquisition, growth, seed cotton yield and fiber quality in cotton. Further improvement of these beneficial inoculants on crops will help increase farmers' income all over the world both now and in the future. Cotton is an important natural fiber and economic crop that provides substantial benefits to humans and is an important raw material worldwide. While a large number of recent studies have confirmed that arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) can improve the growth, yield, quality, and phosphorus acquisition in plants 1-5 , the effect of AMF on these economic and agronomic traits in cotton is largely unknown. Previous research evidence suggests that mycorrhiza-mediated inoculants can reduce the need for P fertilization by at least 25% (and even up to 50%) without any decrease in crop yield 6. We also investigated and reported recently as Zhang et al. on the field biological control effect on cotton Verticillium wilt of AMF application. The nutrient acquisition of crops is mainly controlled by root and soil microorganisms 7 , which play a key role in nutrient circulation and absorption and in fighting against soil pathogens 8,9. Beneficial soil microorganisms are an important part of agricultural ecosystems 7,10,11 and have been used in agriculture more frequently over the past few decades. Nevertheless, the cultivation of the target microorganism is not a simple task, given the large number of microbes, their functional diversity, and the complexity of microbial assemblages. AMF are important beneficial soil microbiota which can be cultured in the laboratory and have established close symbioses with plants over the past 455 million years 12. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) colonize plant roots and can improve the adaptability of host plants, especially by offering additional phosphorus (P) 13,14 , nitrogen (N), and zinc 15 to plants. Root systems were extended, increasing the root surface that is utilized for nutrient uptake by more than 100-fold, by symbiosis with AMF 15. A large group of agricultura...

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) promote the growth of the pioneer dune plant of coastal areas

“…As a result of this, AMF stimulate these plants to increase their exploitation of solar irradiation and their potential for photosynthesis (because their leaves have greater chlorophyll a+b), consequently an increase in the biomass accumulation occurs (Oliveira et al, 2005;Tristão et al, 2016). This is corroborated by Gao et al (2020) in a study with Gossypium hirsitum L. demonstrating the positive effect of AMF in phosphorus absorption and consequent enhance of plant growth. The observed productivity is a consequence of functional efficiency as a response to the higher uptake of water and nutrients verified in AMF inoculated plants (Romero, 2012), which allows greater development of leaves than non-inoculated plants (Atwell et al, 1999;Peña-Becerril et al, 2016;Wang et al, 2019).…”

Correlation between Arbuscular Mycorrhiza (AM) fungi and plant growth of two cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) clones under Bentex T(Benomyl+Thiram) soil treatments

“…Under low Phosphorus (P) conditions, inoculation with invitro produced AM fungi inoculants has been effectively employed to reduce P fertiliser requirement for cassava and improve yield (Aliyu et al, 2019). The same response was observed for cotton plants grown in upland Asian soils (Gao et al, 2020). However, as earlier stated, the presence of AM fungi lead to growth depression in the test cassava plant as was observed in the study.…”

The Structure of Rhizosphere Fungal Communities of Wild and Domesticated Rice: Changes in Diversity and Co-occurrence Patterns

“…The rhizosphere is inhabited by the taxonomically structured fungal community that plays an essential role in absorbing nutrients and provides resistance against pathogen invasion and other abiotic stresses associated with their respective host crops ( Stringlis et al, 2018 ; Perez-Jaramillo et al, 2019 ). For instance, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) can establish mutualistic endosymbiosis with their respective host crop to improve the absorption of mineral nutrients (predominantly phosphate) and enhance the resistance to pathogens, as well as abiotic stresses within the host plant ( Akiyama et al, 2005 ; Luginbuehl et al, 2017 ; Wang et al, 2017 ; Jia et al, 2019 ; Gao et al, 2020 ). Contrary to AMF, some soilborne fungi are causative factors for creating disease at the crop level ( Delgado-Baquerizo et al, 2020 ).…”