Specific Plant Mycorrhizal Responses Are Linked to Mycorrhizal Fungal Species Interactions

Abstract

Effects of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) on plants span the continuum from mutualism to parasitism due to the plant–AMF specificity, which obscures the utilization of AMF in the restoration of degraded lands. Caragana korshinskii, Hedysarum laeve, Caragana microphylla, and Poa annua are the most frequently used plants for revegetation in Kubuqi Desert, China, and the influence of AMF on their re-establishment remains to be explored further. Herein, using a greenhouse experiment, we tested the plant–AMF feedbacks between the four plant species and their conspecific or heterospecific AMF, retrieved from their rhizosphere in the Kubuqi Desert. AMF showed beneficial effects on plant growth for all these plant-AMF pairs. Generally, AMF increased the biomass of C. korshinskii, H. laeve, C. microphylla, and P. annua by 97.6, 50.6, 46.5, and 381.1%, respectively, relative to control. In addition, the AMF-plant specificity was detected. P. annua grew best, but C. microphylla grew worst with conspecific AMF communities. AMF community from P. annua showed the largest beneficial effect on all the plants (with biomass increased by 63.9–734.4%), while the AMF community from C. microphylla showed the least beneficial effect on all the plants (with biomass increased by 9.9–59.1%), except for P. annua (a 292.4% increase in biomass). The magnitude of AMF effects on plant growth was negatively correlated with the complexity of the corresponding AMF co-occurrence networks. Overall, this study suggests that AMF effects on plant growth vary due to plant-AMF specificity. We also observed the broad-spectrum benefits of the native AMF from P. annua, which indicates its potential utilization in the restoration of the desert vegetation.

AMF species do matter: Rhizophagus irregularis and Funneliformis mosseae affect healthy and PVY-infected Solanum tuberosum L. in a different way

“…Interestingly, the two AMF species interacted with the same host with different intensities. The degree of induced changes varied, depending on the species used, which was also noticed in other plant-AMF models (Cao et al, 2020;Malicka et al, 2021;Guo et al, 2022).…”

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi improve the competitive advantage of a native plant relative to a congeneric invasive plant in growth and nutrition

“…A review holds these findings, which claim that there is a positive correlation between plant mycorrhizal dependence and the amount of P obtained from AM fungi, and plant‐to‐plant C transport through the mycorrhizal network is preferentially directed toward plants with the highest mycorrhizal dependence (Van Der Heijden, 2002 ). Intriguingly, the invasive E. adenophorum was more mycorrhizal dependent than the native E. lindleyanum under intraspecific competition (Table 1 ), which suggested the plant invaders have a more positive response to AM fungi than natives when they grow alone (Aslani et al., 2019 ; Guo et al., 2022 ).…”

“…Intriguingly, the invasive E. adenophorum was more mycorrhizal dependent than the native E. lindleyanum under intraspecific competition (Table 1), which suggested the plant invaders have a more positive response to AM fungi than natives when they grow alone (Aslani et al, 2019;Guo et al, 2022).…”

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi increased peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) yield by changing the rhizosphere microbial community structure in saline-alkali soil

“…In our study, Glomus was the most prevalent AMF genus in both the CK and AMF groups ( Figure 5 ). AMF offers a wide range of advantages and potential value in harsh environments ( Guo et al, 2022 ). According to a recent study by Salvioli et al (2016) , bacteria associated with AMF enhance AMF fitness and soil nutrient uptake.…”