Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi Promote Physiological and Biochemical Advantages in Handroanthus serratifolius Seedlings Submitted to Different Water Deficits

Abstract

Climate change causes increasingly longer periods of drought, often causing the death of plants, especially when they are in the early stages of development. Studying the benefits provided by arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi to plants in different water regimes is an efficient and sustainable strategy to face climate change. Thus, this study investigated the influence of AM fungi on Handroanthus serratifolius seedlings under different water regimes, based on biochemical, and nutritional growth parameters. The experiment was carried out in H. serratifolius seedlings cultivated with mycorrhizas (+AMF) and without mycorrhizas (-AMF) in three water regimes; a severe water deficit (SD), a moderate water deficit (MD), and a well-watered (WW) condition. AM fungi provided greater osmoregulation under water deficit conditions through the accumulation of soluble sugars, total free amino acids, and proline, as well as by reducing sugar. The increase in the absorption of phosphorus and nitrate was observed only in the presence of fungi in the well-watered regimen. A higher percentage of colonization was found in plants submitted to the well-watered regimen. Ultimately, AM fungi promoted biochemical, nutritional, and growth benefits for H. serratifolius seedlings under the water deficit and well-hydrated conditions, proving that AMF can be used to increase the tolerance of H. serratifolius plants, and help them to survive climate change.

Influence of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi density on growth and metabolism of Handroanthus serratifolius (Vahl) S.O. Grose seedlings

“…Higher phosphorus content were also observed in seedlings of H. serratifolius and T. donnell‐smithii Rose grown in the presence of AMF, compared to the control seedlings (Aguirre‐Medina et al, 2014; Correia et al, 2022;). Phosphorus concentration is higher in mycorrhizal plants (Aguirre‐Medina et al, 2007) because they are more efficient in phosphorus absorption than non‐mycorrhizal plants (Siqueira et al, 1998) since the AMF hyphae expand the phosphorus exploration zone in the soil, through greater root length and volume (Correia et al, 2022; Peleja et al, 2022). Root characteristics (greater root volume and length) that allow for greater phosphorus uptake were observed in the present study (Figures 1 and 4).…”

“…This suggests that the MSD_AMF density is capable of promoting significant root growth (Figure 4). The increased root volume allows the plant to have better access to nutrients available in the soil (Correia et al, 2022) and water, resulting in enhanced plant growth. Thus, the greater plant growth observed in the MSD_AMF treatment can be attributed to the larger root volume and root dry mass.…”

“…The soil in this environment is predominantly sandy, leached, with a high aluminum content, and exhibits low fertility (Coutinho, 2006). Within this context, AMF plays a vital role by sustaining plant growth even under conditions of low water availability (Cavalcante et al, 2001; Correia et al, 2022).…”

Diversity of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi of the Rhizosphere of Lycium barbarum L. from Four Main Producing Areas in Northwest China and Their Effect on Plant Growth

“…After colonizing plant roots, AMF helps plants to expand their root system, and mycelium can also release phosphatase and organic acids [8][9][10] into the soil to dissolve soil nutrients, such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and iron, enhancing soil aggregation and nutrient retention, indirectly affecting soil fertility [11][12][13], and the mycelium of AMF also promotes phosphorus uptake and transport [14]. In addition to this, AMF can be used to improve tolerance and help the host to survive adverse climate changes [15][16][17] and other adverse environmental conditions stresses and foster vegetation recovery in degraded habitats [18].…”