Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi Associated with Maize (Zea mays L.) in the Formation and Stability of Aggregates in Two Types of Soil

Knowledge of native Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF) and their relationship with the edaphic characteristics where they live is important to establish the influence of allochthonous AMF, which were inoculated, on the development and stability of soil aggregates. The objectives of this research were to know the composition of native AMF species from two contrasting soils, and to establish the development and stability of aggregates in those soils with corn plants after inoculating them with allochthonous AMF. The experiment had three factors: Soil (two levels [S1 and S2]), HMA (three levels: without application [A0], with the application of Claroideoglomus claroideum [A1] and with the application of a consortium [A2]) and Fertilization (two levels (without fertilization [f0] and with fertilization [f1])). Twelve treatments were generated, with five replicates (60 experimental units [EU]). The EU consisted of a pot with a corn plant and the distribution was completely random. The results demonstrated that the Typic Ustifluvent presented nine species of native AMF, while the Typic Dystrustert had three; the native AMF in each soil influenced the activity of allochthonous AMF, such as their colonization and sporulation. Likewise, differences were found in the stability of macro-sized aggregates (0.5 to 2.0 mm).

Enhancement of growth and Cannabinoids content of hemp (Cannabis sativa) using arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi

This study aimed to investigate the efficiency of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) to promote growth and cannabinoid yield of Cannabis sativa KKU05. A completely randomized design (CRD) was conducted with six replications for 60 days. Two different species of AMF, Rhizophagus prolifer PC2-2 and R. aggregatus BM-3 g3 were selected as inocula and compared with two non-mycorrhizal controls, one without synthetic fertilizer and one with synthetic NPK fertilizer. The unfertilized non-mycorrhizal plants had the lowest performance, whereas plants inoculated with R. aggregatus BM-3 g3 performed best, both in terms of plant biomass and concentrations of CBD and THC. There were no significant differences in plant biomass and cannabinoid concentrations between non-mycorrhizal plants that received synthetic fertilizer and mycorrhizal plants with inoculum of R. prolifer PC2-2. Our data demonstrate the great potential for cannabis cultivation without risking deterioration of soil structure, such as soil hardening and increased acidity, which might be induced by long-term use of synthetic fertilizer.

Importance of soil amendments with biochar and/or Arbuscular Mycorrhizal fungi to mitigate aluminum toxicity in tamarind (Tamarindus indica L.) on an acidic soil: A greenhouse study

Tamarindus indica L. is a forest plant species widely used in semi-arid regions and has an important socio-economic role. A 90 d greenhouse pot experiment was conducted to evaluate the efficiency of soil amendments with biochar and/or three Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF) strains; Rhizophagus fasciculatus (Rf), Rhizophagus aggregatus (Ra), and Rhizophagus irregularis (Ri) on T. indica grown under aluminum stress. The amendments consisted of 5% biochar and 20 g kg⁻¹ AMF as (i) control; (ii) biochar; (iii) biochar + Rf; (iv) biochar + Ra; (v) biochar + Ri; (vi) Rf; (vii) Ra; (viii) Ri. The treatments with biochar significantly (P < 0.05) increased soil pH and reduced the content of soil exchangeable Al³⁺ relative to the control and exclusive AMF treatments. All the treatments improved total nitrogen and phosphorus uptake by roots and shoot of T. indica and resulted in improved plant growth and root/shoot dry weight. The ability of biochar to enhance the soil's water-holding capacity played a key role in improving the intensity of mycorrhization. Overall, biochar amendments significantly improved the photosynthetic potential of T. indica and the activities of antioxidant enzymes compared to other treatments. Thus, the combined effects of enhanced (a) soil physicochemical parameters, (b) mycorrhization, (c) nutrient uptake, (d) photosynthetic potential, and (e) antioxidant activities played an important role in mitigating Al-related stress to improve the growth of T. indica. Therefore, the application of biochar in combination with AMFs can serve as a strategy for ensuring plant biodiversity in acid and Al-toxic soils in arid and semi-arid regions in Africa.