Mycorrhizae As Biocontrol Agents

Abstract

Alterations in the overall rhizosphere community can be bomeout by changes in the mycorrhizal community. It is well established that different crops and management practices can alter the mycorrhizal community assemblage around plant roots. Therefore, it is possible to alter the biotic community of a given rhizosphere for a favorable situation, such as reduction in the inoculum potential of plant pathogens. The information available and/or required to support such a conclusion is enormous. This sustainable and basic approach may become one of the many viable solutions to managing plant diseases and reducing pathogen inoculum. In addition, such studies may pave the way for co-inoculation of crops with promising populations of any group of microflora and mycorrhizal fungi.

The Ecology of Plant–microbial Mutualisms

“…Some AM fungi have been observed to reduce infection of soybean, eggplant, cucumber, mulberry, and grape by Pseudomonas spp. AM hosts tend to exhibit elevated viral loads and greater levels of viral diseases, hypothesized to be due to higher P levels in AM plant tissue improving host quality and facilitating viral growth (Xavier and Boyetchko, 2002). In addition, a few studies have shown reduced survivorship of larval insects feeding on AM roots relative to those feeding on nonmycorrhizal roots (see Gange and Bower, 1996, for a brief review).…”