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Arbuscular mycorrhizal networks—A climate-smart blueprint for agriculture

Summary

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi are beneficial organisms that form partnerships with plant roots to improve crop health and productivity without relying heavily on synthetic chemicals. These fungal networks enhance soil health, help plants survive droughts and diseases, improve nutrient absorption, and redistribute water through the soil. By using proper farming practices like crop diversification and fungal inoculants, farmers can harness these natural networks to increase yields while reducing fertilizer costs and environmental pollution.

Background

Global agriculture faces a triple imperative of sustaining food production, mitigating climate disruptions, and improving soil health. Twentieth-century industrial agriculture achieved high yields through synthetic agrochemicals, but productivity has stagnated and chemical intensification has destabilized plant-soil-microbiome equilibrium. Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungal symbiosis offers a promising alternative approach to reduce chemical inputs while maintaining productivity.

Objective

This review aimed to explore the primary roles of AM fungus-dominated hyphospheric networks in improving agroecosystem services, assess AM fungi as biofertilizers to enhance nutrient use efficiency and productivity, and provide evidence-based recommendations to optimize AM fungal functioning through improved anthropogenic practices.

Results

AM fungal hyphospheric networks enhance agroecosystem resilience by buffering against biotic and abiotic stressors, facilitate nutrient cycling and hydraulic redistribution through interconnected hyphae, optimize root architecture for improved nutrient acquisition, and mediate carbon dynamics in soil. Meta-analyses revealed that AM inoculation increased cereal crop yields by 16% on average and reduced fertilizer costs by 20-40%, while cover-cropping enhanced AM colonization by 34-55%. Conversely, soil disturbance, pesticide application, excessive synthetic fertilizers, and non-mycorrhizal crop monocultures disrupted AM networks.

Conclusion

AM fungal hyphospheric networks serve as keystone ecological infrastructure for sustainable agroecosystems. Integrating insights into AM mechanisms with improved farming practices—including cropping diversification, AM-responsive plant genotypes, proper inoculation strategies, and policy support—can increase nutrient use efficiency, reduce chemical dependency, and enhance productivity while supporting United Nations sustainability goals.
  • Published in:Plant Communications,
  • Study Type:Review,
  • Source: PMID: 40963255
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