Divergence in Corn Mycorrhizal Colonization Patterns Due to Organic Treatment

Abstract

Excessive application of chemical fertilizers and other agrochemicals can cause large imbalances in soils and agricultural ecosystems. In this context, mycorrhizae represent a viable solution to mitigate these negative effects. Arbuscular mycorrhizae are vital symbionts due to the multiple benefits they bring to both crops and the entire agroecosystem. The main purpose of this study was to observe whether differentiated fertilization has an influence on mycorrhizal colonization patterns in corn. Observed frequencies and intensities of colonization varied widely between phenophases and treatments, with 20% variation for frequency and 14% for intensity, which implies the constant development of both partners during the vegetation period. Arbuscules and vesicles were present in all development stages, but the overall mean was lower than 4% for arbuscules and 1% for vesicles in the analyzed root fragments. Intensity was highly correlated with frequency of colonization compared with arbuscules, where the coefficient was 0.54, and vesicles, with a coefficient of 0.16. Both PCA and NMDS provided good graphical solutions, with a high resolution due to explained variance and good spatial position of vectors. The use of mycorrhizal maps permits the full exploration of colonization patterns and fungal strategy, and the assessment of mycorrhizae-free areas. For the untreated variant, the strategy was oriented toward a longitudinal colonization followed by an irregular development of hyphae with multiple non-colonized areas. Treatment acts to stimulate the appearance of mycorrhizal spots, which further develop radially.

Soil quality measurement for sustainable soybean yield agroforestry system under different crop rotation models

“…The interaction between soybean and fungi has a positive impact on increasing soybean yield. Pop-Moldovan et al (2021) informed that former maize plantations had a high abundance of mycorrhizal fungi. Mycorrhizae help plants to grow and develop, thus facilitating the absorption of nutrients, especially phosphorus.…”

Effects of different management practices on the growth and yield of corn

“…Beneficial microorganisms as bio-stimulants and biocontrol have an important role in plant growth and health (Compant et al, 2019), strengthen beneficial microbial networks and determine the biological quality of soils (Torres, Yu and Kaan Kurtural, 2021), and improve plant nutrition and crop productivity under environmental stress (Jalal et al, 2023). Arbuscular mycorrhizae fungi are vital symbionts due to their multiple benefits to mitigate these adverse impacts (Pop-Moldovan et al, 2021).…”