Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi as Biofertilizers to Increase the Plant Quality of Sour-Orange Seedlings
In addressing the agricultural challenges posed by climate change, the use of biofertilizers, derived from living organisms, promotes environmentally friendly crop cultivation, and represents an adaptive strategy for sustainable agriculture in the face of climate uncertainty. Careful selection of th...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2024-01-01
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| Series: | Agronomy |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/14/1/230 |
| _version_ | 1827372967950024704 |
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| author | Josefa María Navarro Asunción Morte |
| author_facet | Josefa María Navarro Asunción Morte |
| author_sort | Josefa María Navarro |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In addressing the agricultural challenges posed by climate change, the use of biofertilizers, derived from living organisms, promotes environmentally friendly crop cultivation, and represents an adaptive strategy for sustainable agriculture in the face of climate uncertainty. Careful selection of the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus (AMF) would represent a crucial step in mycorrhizal inoculation, considering the varying levels of compatibility between the AMF and the host plant. This study aimed to assess the impact of two AMF species that are prevalent in citrus soils of south-eastern Spain (<i>Rhizophagus irregularis</i> and <i>Funneliformis mosseae</i>) on the <i>Citrus aurantium</i> seedlings’ behavior. Sour-orange plants showed a high mycorrhizal dependence regardless of the specific AMF species. Both <i>R. irregularis</i> and <i>F. mosseae</i> fungi exhibited high colonization percentages, with <i>R. irregularis</i> outperforming <i>F. mosseae</i> in root colonization. Inoculation with both AMF yielded notable growth improvements, but <i>R. irregularis</i> exhibited higher positive effects in the long term. The heightened P nutrition and increased chlorophyll concentration significantly enhanced the performance of AMF-inoculated plants. With <i>F. mosseae</i>, plants showed more pronounced improvements in P nutrition and a stronger correlation of their dry mass with P concentration; however, in general, inoculation with <i>R. irregularis</i> produced a higher sour-orange-plant performance. Both <i>R. irregularis</i> and <i>F. mosseae</i> fungi produced strong positive effects in sour-orange growth, which positioned them as viable biofertilizer options. These results can contribute to enhancing understanding for the development of an improved design of biofertilizers used in regions that are vulnerable to climate change, such as south-eastern Spain. This promotes a shift towards more sustainable and environmentally friendly agricultural practices by reducing dependence on chemical fertilizers. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T11:08:58Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f86dad6a3d0443b4af983b44cef82fb1 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2073-4395 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T11:08:58Z |
| publishDate | 2024-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Agronomy |
| spelling | doaj.art-f86dad6a3d0443b4af983b44cef82fb12024-01-26T14:28:17ZengMDPI AGAgronomy2073-43952024-01-0114123010.3390/agronomy14010230Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi as Biofertilizers to Increase the Plant Quality of Sour-Orange SeedlingsJosefa María Navarro0Asunción Morte1Equipo de Riego y Fisiología del Estrés, Instituto Murciano de Investigación y Desarrollo Agrario y Medioambiental, C/Mayor s/n, La Alberca, 30150 Murcia, SpainDepartamento de Biología Vegetal (Botánica), Facultad de Biología, Campus de Espinardo, Universidad de Murcia, 30100 Murcia, SpainIn addressing the agricultural challenges posed by climate change, the use of biofertilizers, derived from living organisms, promotes environmentally friendly crop cultivation, and represents an adaptive strategy for sustainable agriculture in the face of climate uncertainty. Careful selection of the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus (AMF) would represent a crucial step in mycorrhizal inoculation, considering the varying levels of compatibility between the AMF and the host plant. This study aimed to assess the impact of two AMF species that are prevalent in citrus soils of south-eastern Spain (<i>Rhizophagus irregularis</i> and <i>Funneliformis mosseae</i>) on the <i>Citrus aurantium</i> seedlings’ behavior. Sour-orange plants showed a high mycorrhizal dependence regardless of the specific AMF species. Both <i>R. irregularis</i> and <i>F. mosseae</i> fungi exhibited high colonization percentages, with <i>R. irregularis</i> outperforming <i>F. mosseae</i> in root colonization. Inoculation with both AMF yielded notable growth improvements, but <i>R. irregularis</i> exhibited higher positive effects in the long term. The heightened P nutrition and increased chlorophyll concentration significantly enhanced the performance of AMF-inoculated plants. With <i>F. mosseae</i>, plants showed more pronounced improvements in P nutrition and a stronger correlation of their dry mass with P concentration; however, in general, inoculation with <i>R. irregularis</i> produced a higher sour-orange-plant performance. Both <i>R. irregularis</i> and <i>F. mosseae</i> fungi produced strong positive effects in sour-orange growth, which positioned them as viable biofertilizer options. These results can contribute to enhancing understanding for the development of an improved design of biofertilizers used in regions that are vulnerable to climate change, such as south-eastern Spain. This promotes a shift towards more sustainable and environmentally friendly agricultural practices by reducing dependence on chemical fertilizers.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/14/1/230<i>Citrus aurantium</i><i>Rhizophagus irregularis</i><i>Funneliformis mosseae</i>phosphorusmycorrhizal dependency |
| spellingShingle | Josefa María Navarro Asunción Morte Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi as Biofertilizers to Increase the Plant Quality of Sour-Orange Seedlings Agronomy <i>Citrus aurantium</i> <i>Rhizophagus irregularis</i> <i>Funneliformis mosseae</i> phosphorus mycorrhizal dependency |
| title | Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi as Biofertilizers to Increase the Plant Quality of Sour-Orange Seedlings |
| title_full | Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi as Biofertilizers to Increase the Plant Quality of Sour-Orange Seedlings |
| title_fullStr | Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi as Biofertilizers to Increase the Plant Quality of Sour-Orange Seedlings |
| title_full_unstemmed | Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi as Biofertilizers to Increase the Plant Quality of Sour-Orange Seedlings |
| title_short | Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi as Biofertilizers to Increase the Plant Quality of Sour-Orange Seedlings |
| title_sort | arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi as biofertilizers to increase the plant quality of sour orange seedlings |
| topic | <i>Citrus aurantium</i> <i>Rhizophagus irregularis</i> <i>Funneliformis mosseae</i> phosphorus mycorrhizal dependency |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/14/1/230 |
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