The Role of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi in Enhancing Crop Resilience and Soil Health: A Review
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24925/turjaf.v14i4.1178-1188.8264Keywords:
Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi, symbiotic effectiveness, stress tolerance, Agriculture , Biofuel productionAbstract
Sustainable agriculture has become a very important concept in food, feed and biofuel production. This has become so, due to increasing climate impacts as well as exponential increase in the world’s population, which triggers the need to cultivate more. One of the cornerstones of sustainable agriculture is soil health. Since their identification, Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF) have been reported to play key roles in plant stress management. This review was carried out with the main aim of exploring the applications of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi in agriculture. Some recent studies were reviewed to ascertain the effects of AMF on crop performance under stress (drought, pathogens, salinity, micro-plastics) as well as the molecular processes leading to the establishment of symbiosis. This study further compared methods and results from various studies to pinpoint some key areas which need to be studied in order to bridge the information gap. The research concluded that AMF have great potential in the future of sustainable agriculture. On the other hand, it has been identified that, hosts switch to symbiosis following some level of stress. However, it is not clear the stage of stress at which hosts begin to switch to AMF association. It is therefore recommended that in-depth studies into various levels of moisture and nutrients at which symbiosis is the most beneficial should be carried out. Furthermore, other substances such as plant growth regulators and biochar should be incorporated in future research considering positive results observed in preliminary research.
References
Ahammed, G. J., & Hajiboland, R. (2024). Introduction to Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi and Higher Plant Symbiosis: Characteristic Features , Functions , and Applications. In Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi and Higher Plants: Fundamentals and Applications (pp. 1–17).
Akköprü, A., & Demir, S. (2005). Biological control of Fusarium wilt in tomato caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici by AMF Glomus intraradices and some rhizobacteria. Journal of Phytopathology, 153(9), 544–550. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1439-0434.2005.01018.x
Alam, M. J., Islam, M. S., Mondol, A. T. M. A. I., Naser, H. M., Salahin, N., Alam, M. K., Islam, M. M., Akter, S., & Alam, Z. (2024). Cropping system-based fertilizer strategies for crop productivity and soil health under minimum tillage in grey terrace soil. Heliyon, 10(July 2023). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e24106
Altuntaş, Ö. (2024). Application of AMF Under Continuous and Diverse Fertilization Regime: Case Studies. In Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi in Sustainable Agriculture: Inoculum Production and Application (pp. 333–360). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-97-0296-1_15
Avil, J. D., Castillo, A. G., & García-garrido, J. M. (2024). Enhancing arbuscular mycorrhiza symbiosis effectiveness through the involvement of the tomato GRAS transcription factor SCL3 / SlGRAS18. Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, 215(August), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.plaphy.2024.109019
Bijalwan, P., Jeddi, K., Saini, I., Sharma, M., Kaushik, P., & Hessini, K. (2021). Mitigation of saline conditions in watermelon with mycorrhiza and silicon application. Saudi Journal of Biological Sciences, 28(May), 3678–3684.
Bongaarts, J. (2009). Human population growth and the demographic transition. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 364(1532), 2985–2990. https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2009.0137
Chang, O., & Lin, W. (2025). Genotype-speci fi c modulation of drought tolerance by arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis in foxtail millet. Frontiers in Plant Science, 16(November), 1–18. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2025.1696600
Dickson, S. (2004). The Arum – Paris continuum of mycorrhizal symbioses. New Phytologist, 163, 187–200. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-8137.2004.01095.x
Divyangkumar, N., & Panwar, N. L. (2024). Standardization, certification, and development of biochar based fertilizer for sustainable agriculture: An overview. Environmental Pollution and Management, 1(October), 186–202. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epm.2024.10.001
Dudhane, M., Borde, M., & Thomas, S. (2024). Advances in AMF Research: Isolation, Histochemical Staining, Enumeration, Morphological and Molecular Techniques. In Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi in Sustainable Agriculture: Inoculum Production and Application (pp. 37–56). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-97-0296-1_2
Earles, R. (2005). Sustainable Agriculture: An Introduction. ATTRA, 1–8. https://s3.wp.wsu.edu/uploads/sites/2079/2015/06/Sustainable-Agriculture-An-Intoduction-ATTRA.pdf
El-Fattah, D. A. A., Maze, M., Ali, B. A. A., & Awed, N. M. (2023). Role of mycorrhizae in enhancing the economic revenue of water and phosphorus use efficiency in sweet corn ( Zea mays L . var . saccharata ) plants. Journal of the Saudi Society of Agricultural Sciences, 22(3), 174–186. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jssas.2022.10.001
El-metwally, M. M., Ahmed, A., & Mekawey, I. (2023). Symbiotic Relationships with Fungi: From Mutualism to Parasitism. In Y. M. Rashad, Z. A. M. Baka, & T. A. A. Moussa (Eds.), Plant Mycobiome Diversity, Interactions and Uses (pp. 375–413). Springer Nature. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-28307-9_15
FAO. (2018). SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE FOR BIODIVERSITY BIODIVERSITY FOR SUSTAINABLE. https://openknowledge.fao.org/server/api/core/bitstreams/edb59a36-7b00-4e0c-ac57-8323cc05ce6d/content
Giovannini, L., Palla, M., Agnolucci, M., Avio, L., Sbrana, C., Turrini, A., & Giovannetti, M. (2020). Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi and Associated Microbiota as Plant Biostimulants : Research Strategies for the Selection of the Best Performing Inocula. Agronomy, 10(106), 1–14.
Gong, M., Bai, N., Su, J., Wang, Y., Wei, Y., & Zhang, Q. (2024). Transcriptome analysis of Gossypium reveals the molecular mechanisms of Ca 2 + signaling pathway on arsenic tolerance induced by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. Frontiers in Microbiology, 15(March), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2024.1362296
Güneş, H., Demir, S., Durak, E. D., & Boyno, G. (2024). The effect of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal fungal species Funneliformis mosseae and biochar against Verticillium dahliae in pepper plants under salt stress. European Journal of Plant Pathology, 170, 669–686. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10658-024-02926-w
Güneş, H., Demir, S., & Erdinç, Ç. (2025). How do AMF and Biochar Affect Pepper Growth and Nutrient Content under Biotic and Abiotic Stress? KSU J. Agric Nat, 8(2), 459–479. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.18016/ksutarimdoga.vi.1587723
Habte, M., & Osorio, N. W. (2001). Arbuscular Mycorrhizas: Producing and Applying Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Inoculum. College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources.
He, J., Huang, R., & Xie, X. (2024). A gap in the recognition of two mycorrhizal factors: new insights into two LysM-type mycorrhizal receptors. Frontiers in Plant Science, 15(1418699), 1–8. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2024.1418699
Ho-Plágaro, T., & García-Garrido, J. M. (2022). Molecular Regulation of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Symbiosis. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 23(5960), 1–20. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms23115960
IPCC. (2014). Climate Change 2014: Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerability. Part A: Global and Sectoral Aspects. Contribution of Working Group II to the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (C. B. Field, V. R. Barros, D. J. Dokken, K. J. Mach, M. D. Mastrandrea, T. E. Bilir, M. Chatterjee, K. L. Ebi, Y. O. Estrada, R. C. Genova, B. Girma, E. S. Kissel, A. N. Levy, S. MacCracken, P. R. Mastrandrea, & L. L. White (eds.)). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York, NY, USA.
IPCC. (2018). Summary for Policymakers. In [V. Masson-Delmotte, P. Zhai, H. O. Pörtner, J. S. D. Roberts, P. R. Shukla, A. Pirani, W. Moufouma-Okia, C. Péan, R. Pidcock, S. Connors, J. B. R. Matthews, Y. Chen, X. Zhou, M. I. Gomis, E. Lonnoy, T. Maycock, M. Tignor, & T. Waterfield (Eds.), Global warming of 1.5°C. An IPCC Special Report on the impacts of global warming of 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels and related global greenhouse gas emission pathways, in the context of strengthening the global response to the threat of climate change, (p. 32). World Meteorological Organization.
Lee, J., Park, S., & Eom, A. (2006). Molecular Identification of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungal Spores Collected in Korea. Mycobiology, 34(1), 7–13.
Manga, B. Z., Rabiu, S., & Manga, B. N. (2021). Molecular Characterization of the Mycorrhizae and Other Root Associated Fungi Abundance of Some Crop Plants Grown in Kano , Nigeria. Journal of Biology and Environmental Sciences, 15(44), 69–75.
Martin, F. M., Selosse, M., & Sanders, I. R. (2015). Mycorrhizal ecology and evolution: the past, the present, and the future. New Phytologist, 205(March), 1406–1423. https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.13288
Mcclung, T. N., Lampinen, B. D., Gaudin, C. M., & Volder, A. (2024). Inoculation with arbuscular mycorrhiza did not affect growth , root traits or gas exchange of grafted almond saplings when exposed to drought stress. Plant Stress, 12(April). https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.stress.2024.100475
Morton, J. B., & Msiska, Z. (2010). Phylogenies from genetic and morphological characters do not support a revision of Gigasporaceae ( Glomeromycota ) into four families and five genera. 483–496. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00572-010-0303-9
Mutum, B., Bera, K., Chaudhuri, K. M., Prabhu, S., Dutta, P., & Choudhury, A. (n.d.). Arbuscular Mycorrhiza: Physiology of Symbiosis and Application Towards Sustainability. In Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi in Sustainable Agriculture: Inoculum Production and Application. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-97-0296-1_16
Panneerselvam, P., Mohapatra, P. Das, Nayak, A. K., Mitra, D., Velmourougane, K., & Villalobos, S. de los S.-. (2024). Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi: For Nutrient , Abiotic and Biotic Stress Management in Rice (Issue June). CRC Press, Taylor & Francis Group, LLC. https://doi.org/10.1201/9781003354086
Paries, M., Hobecker, K., Hernandez, S., Binci, F., Guercio, A., Usländer, A., Cardosoa, C., Sib, Y., Wanknera, L., Bashyala, S., Troyckea, P., Brücknerb, F., Pimprikard, P., Shabekc, N., & Gutjahr, C. (2025). The GRAS protein RAM1 interacts with WRI transcription factors to regulate plant genes required for arbuscule development and function. Plant Biology, 122(21). https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2427021122
Phour, M., Sehrawat, A., Singh, S., & Glick, B. R. (2020). Interkingdom signaling in plant-rhizomicrobiome interactions for sustainable agriculture. Microbiological Research, 241(August), 126589. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.micres.2020.126589
Piliarová, M., Ondreičková, K., Hudcovicová, M., Mihálik, D., & Kraic, J. (2019). Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi: Their Life and Function in Ecosystem. Agriculture (Poľnohospodárstvo), 65(1), 3–15. https://doi.org/10.2478/agri-2019-0001
Porto, A. Lo, Amato, G., Gargano, G., Giambalvo, D., Ingraffia, R., Torta, L., & Frenda, A. S. (2024). Polypropylene microfibers negatively affect soybean growth and nitrogen fixation regardless of soil type and mycorrhizae presence. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 480(June), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.135781
Salvioli, di F. A., & Novero, M. (2019). To trade in the field: the molecular determinants of arbuscular mycorrhiza nutrient exchange. Chemical and Biological Technologies in Agriculture, 6(12), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40538-019-0150-7
Sayed, T., Tia, N. A. J., Sir, K. A., Hamid, M., Georg, R., Almaiman, S. A., & Hassan, A. B. (2022). Exploring the potential of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi ( AMF ) for improving health-promoting phytochemicals in sorghum. Rhizosphere, 24(September), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rhisph.2022.100596
Sedaghati, E., Yazdanpanah, M., & Nadi, M. (2021). A review of taxonomic studies of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi in Iran. Mycologia Iranica, 8(2), 15–30. https://doi.org/10.22043/MI.2022.358512.1215
Shi, J., Zhao, B., Zheng, S., Zhang, X., Wang, X., Dong, W., Xie, Q., Wang, G., Xiao, Y., Chen, F., Yu, N., & Wang, E. (2021). A phosphate starvation response-centered network regulates mycorrhizal symbiosis. Cell, 184(22), 5527–5540. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2021.09.030
Sonbol, H., Korany, S. M., Abdi, I., Maridueña-zavala, M. G., Alsherif, A., Aldailami, D. A., Yousif, S., & Elsheikh, S. (2025). Exploring the benefits of AMF colonization for improving wheat growth, physiology and metabolism, and antimicrobial activity under biotic stress from aphid infection. BMC Plant Biology, 25(198), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12870-025-06196-4
Sousa, B., Soares, C., Sousa, F., Martins, M., Mateus, P., Rodrigues, F., Azenha, M., & Lino-neto, T. (2024). Enhancing tomato plants’ tolerance to combined heat and salt stress – The role of arbuscular mycorrhizae and biochar. Science of the Total Environment, 948(May), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.174860
Souza, T. (2015). Handbook of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi. Springer International Publishing, Switzerland.
Spagnoletti, F. N., Cornero, M., Chiocchio, V., Lavado, R. S., & Roberts, I. N. (2020). Arbuscular mycorrhiza protects soybean plants against Macrophomina phaseolina even under nitrogen fertilization. European Journal of Pathology, January. https://doi.org/doi.org/10.1007/s10658-020-01934-w
Sun, X., Shi, J., & Ding, G. (2017). Combined effects of arbuscular mycorrhiza and drought stress on plant growth and mortality of forage sorghum. Applied Soil Ecology, 119(April), 384–391. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apsoil.2017.07.030
Ueda, K., Tawaraya, K., Murayama, H., & Sato, S. (2013). Effects of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi on the abundance of foliar-feeding insects and their natural enemy. The Japanese Society of Applied Entomology and Zoology, 48, 79–85. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13355-012-0155-1
Velten, S., Leventon, J., Jager, N., & Newig, J. (2015). What Is Sustainable Agriculture? A Systematic Review. Sustainability, 7(June), 7833–7865. https://doi.org/10.3390/su7067833
Vural, A., Demir, S., & Erdinç, Ç. (2024). Absisik Asit ve Arbusküler Mikorizal Fungus Uygulamalarının Fasulyede Kömür Çürüklüğü Hastalığı [(Macrophomina phaseolina) (Tassi) Goid.] ve Bitki Gelişimine Etkisi. Yuzuncu Yil University Journal of the Institute of Natural & Applied Sciences, 29(2), 745–760. https://doi.org/10.53433/yyufbed.1452862
Wang, H., & Chen, Y. (2024). Protecting plants from pathogens through arbuscular mycorrhiza : Role of fungal diversity. Microbiological Research, 289(July), 1–11.
Yin, X., Zhang, W., Feng, Z., Feng, G., Zhu, H., & Yao, Q. (2024). Improved observation of colonized roots reveals the regulation of arbuscule development and senescence by drought stress in the arbuscular mycorrhizae of citrus. Horticultural Plant Journal, 10(March), 425–436. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hpj.2023.04.006
Zinkina, J., & Korotayev, A. (2014). Explosive population growth in tropical Africa: Crucial omission in development forecasts-Emerging risks and way out. World Futures: Journal of General Evolution, 70(2), 120–139. https://doi.org/10.1080/02604027.2014.894868
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
