TITLE:
Field Application of the Mycorrhizal Fungus Rhizophagus irregularis Increases the Yield of Wheat Crop and Affects Soil Microbial Functionalities
AUTHORS:
Sanâa Wahbi, Yves Prin, Tasnime Maghraoui, Hervé Sanguin, Jean Thioulouse, Khalid Oufdou, Mohamed Hafidi, Robin Duponnois
KEYWORDS:
Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi, Field-Grown Wheat, Mycorrhizal Field Inoculation, Nutrient Uptake, Microbial Soil Functions
JOURNAL NAME:
American Journal of Plant Sciences,
Vol.6 No.19,
December
16,
2015
ABSTRACT: The aim of this study was to test the impact of Rhizophagus irregularis, an arbuscular mycorrhizal
fungus (AMF), on durum wheat growth and soil microbial functionalities in a field inoculation trial
conducted in Morocco. The results showed that i) the R. irregularis inoculum effectively improved
wheat growth, ii) wheat growth promotion depended on the soil mycorrhizal infectivity and iii)
functional abilities of soil microflora depended on AMF inoculation. This study confirms that field
AMF inoculation can be proposed as an effective agronomic practice in wheat production and as a
sustainable cultural practice to manage soil biofunctioning. To fully promote inoculation practices,
a better knowledge of AMF ecology has to be acquired to better adapt AMF inoculation to environmental
conditions, and thus warrant better yields and agricultural sustainability.