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VA mycorrhiza: benefits to crop plant growth and costs

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Expanding the Production and Use of Cool Season Food Legumes

Part of the book series: Current Plant Science and Biotechnology in Agriculture ((PSBA,volume 19))

Abstract

Most vascular plant species, including agricultural crops, are commonly colonized by vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal (VAM) fungi. VA mycorrhizal colonization of roots occurs in all agroecosystems. The extraradical hyphae of the fungus are able to take up nutrients, such as phosphorus, zinc, and copper, and transport them to the host plant, thereby improving plant nutrition. Thus VAM fungi can be of crucial importance for adequate growth of plant species with a small root surface area when growing in soils low in these nutrients. In addition, roots of individual plants in the field are connected by a common fungal mycelium, allowing for a very limited exchange of nutrients between plants. VAM hyphae can probably not transport large amounts of water, but mycorrhizal plants may be more resistant than non-mycorrhizal plants to drought periods by means of a number of direct and indirect effects of VAM fungi. On the other hand, due to enhanced vegetative growth and lower root/shoot ratios, under rainfed conditions mycorrhizal plants may be more susceptible to drought stress during seed filling. In addition to direct and indirect effects on nutrient and water uptake, VAM fungi can also increase plant resistance to root pathogens.

In exchange for the nutrients taken up, the fungus receives carbohydrates from the host plant to sustain its growth. When the carbohydrate drain of the fungus is higher than the benefit plants derive from their VAM, mycorrhizal colonization of roots may lead to a reduction in plant growth. The carbohydrate demand by VAM fungi may be of particular importance in legumes where symbiotic nitrogen fixation also is a strong sink for photoassimilates.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. ICARDA, P. O. Box 5466, Aleppo, Syria

    E. George & E. Weber

  2. Institute of Plant Nutrition, Hohenheim University, P.B. 700562, 7000, Stuttgart 70, Germany

    E. George & E. Weber

  3. Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants, Lucknow, India

    S. K. Kothari

  4. Department of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition, Beijing Agricultural University, Beijing, China

    X.-L. Li

  5. Institute of Plant Nutrition, Hohenheim University, P.B. 700562, 7000, Stuttgart 70, Germany

    H. Marschner

Authors
  1. E. George
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  2. S. K. Kothari
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  3. X.-L. Li
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  4. E. Weber
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  5. H. Marschner
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. USDA-ARS, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, USA

    F. J. Muehlbauer  & W. J. Kaiser  & 

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© 1994 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht

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George, E., Kothari, S.K., Li, XL., Weber, E., Marschner, H. (1994). VA mycorrhiza: benefits to crop plant growth and costs. In: Muehlbauer, F.J., Kaiser, W.J. (eds) Expanding the Production and Use of Cool Season Food Legumes. Current Plant Science and Biotechnology in Agriculture, vol 19. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-0798-3_51

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-0798-3_51

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-94-010-4343-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-011-0798-3

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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