The Perspective of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Symbiosis in Rice Domestication and Breeding

Abstract

In nature, symbiosis with arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi contributes to sustainable acquisition of phosphorus and other elements in over 80% of plant species; improving interactions with AM symbionts may mitigate some of the environmental problems associated with fertilizer application in grain crops such as rice. Recent developments of high-throughput genome sequencing projects of thousands of rice cultivars and the discovery of the molecular mechanisms underlying AM symbiosis suggest that interactions with AM fungi might have been an overlooked critical trait in rice domestication and breeding. In this review, we discuss genetic variation in the ability of rice to form AM symbioses and how this might have affected rice domestication. Finally, we discuss potential applications of AM symbiosis in rice breeding for more sustainable agriculture.

Domestication of rice may have changed its arbuscular mycorrhizal properties by modifying phosphorus nutrition‐related traits and decreasing symbiotic compatibility

“…Our study identified significant intraspecific variations in the AM properties of domesticated and wild rice, revealing the enormous potential to improve these properties. Wild rice provides valuable genetic resources for rice breeding (Yu et al, 2021;Huang et al, 2022), and our work suggests the potential of introducing advantageous AM properties from wild rice to their domesticated progeny in future rice breeding programs.…”

Investigating the Ecological Role of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF) in Natural Ecosystems

“…The ecological role of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) in natural ecosystems is a topic of great interest and importance. AMF are symbiotic organisms that form mutualistic associations with the roots of most land plants, facilitating nutrient uptake and enhancing plant growth [1,2]. This relationship has profound implications for the functioning and stability of natural ecosystems.…”