Natural arbuscular mycorrhizal colonization of wheat and maize crops under different agricultural practices

Abstract

Arbuscular mycorrhiza is a symbiotic association between arbuscular mycorrhiza fungi and the most of plants species. Among many benefits, mycorrhizal symbiosis increases soil exploration and nutrient uptake by plant roots, provide resistance to both biotic and abiotic stress factors, and enhances soil particles aggregation. Due to this, mycorrhizal symbiosis is important to ecosystems sustainability. It is well known that some agricultural practices, such as monoculture, chemical fertilization or an indiscriminate use of agrochemicals, could reduce or eliminate the ecosystem mycorrhizal potential. In this chapter, results related to the effects of plant growth-promoting inoculation and chemical fertilization on natural arbuscular mycorrhization from wheat and maize field experiments are shown and exhaustively discussed. Due to the complexity of interactions in the rhizosphere, a knowledge improvement about these interactions is essential to increase grain production through more sustainable agricultural practices with the main aim of feeding the growing population in our planet.