Application of Native or Exotic Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi Complexes and Monospecific Isolates from Saline Semi-Arid Mediterranean Ecosystems Improved Phoenix dactylifera's Growth and Mitigated Salt Stress Negative Effects

Harnessing rhizospheric core microbiomes from arid regions for enhancing date palm resilience to climate change effects

Date palm cultivation has thrived in the Gulf Cooperation Council region since ancient times, where it represents a vital sector in agricultural and socio-economic development. However, climate change conditions prevailing for decades in this area, next to rarefication of rain, hot temperatures, intense evapotranspiration, rise of sea level, salinization of groundwater, and intensification of cultivation, contributed to increase salinity in the soil as well as in irrigation water and to seriously threaten date palm cultivation sustainability. There are also growing concerns about soil erosion and its repercussions on date palm oases. While several reviews have reported on solutions to sustain date productivity, including genetic selection of suitable cultivars for the local harsh environmental conditions and the implementation of efficient management practices, no systematic review of the desertic plants' below-ground microbial communities and their potential contributions to date palm adaptation to climate change has been reported yet. Indeed, desert microorganisms are expected to address critical agricultural challenges and economic issues. Therefore, the primary objectives of the present critical review are to (1) analyze and synthesize current knowledge and scientific advances on desert plant-associated microorganisms, (2) review and summarize the impacts of their application on date palm, and (3) identify possible gaps and suggest relevant guidance for desert plant microbes' inoculation approach to sustain date palm cultivation within the Gulf Cooperation Council in general and in Qatar in particular.

Mycorrhizal inoculation enhanced tillering in field grown wheat, nutritional enrichment and soil properties

To meet food security, commercial fertilizers are available to boost wheat yield, but there are serious ill effects associated with these fertilizers. Amongst various organic alternatives, inoculating crop fields with mycorrhizal species is the most promising option. Although, mycorrhizae are known to enhance wheat yield, but how the mycorrhizae influence different yield and quality parameters of wheat, is not clear. Therefore, this study was undertaken to investigate the influence of indigenous mycorrhizal species on the growth of wheat, its nutritional status and soil properties, in repeated set of field experiments. In total 11 species of mycorrhizae were isolated from the experimental sites with Claroideoglomus, being the most dominant one. Five different treatments were employed during the present study, keeping plot size for each replicate as 6 × 2 m. Introduction of consortia of mycorrhizae displayed a significant increase in number of tillers/plant (49.5%), dry biomass (17.4%), grain yield (21.2%) and hay weight (16.7%). However, there was non-significant effect of mycorrhizal inoculation on 1,000 grains weight. Moreover, protein contents were increased to 24.2%. Zinc, iron, phosphorus and potassium concentrations were also increased to 24%, 21%, 30.9% and 14.8%, respectively, in wheat grains. Enhancement effects were also noted on soil fertility such as soil organic carbon % age, available phosphorus and potassium were increased up to 64.7%, 35.8% and 23.9%, respectively. Herein, we concluded that mycorrhizal introduction in wheat fields significantly increased tillering in wheat and this increased tillering resulted in overall increase in wheat biomass/yield. Mycorrhizae also enhanced nutritional attributes of wheat grains as well as soil fertility. The use of mycorrhizae will help to reduce our dependance on synthetic fertilizers in sustainable agriculture.