Molecular Diversity of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi in Onion Roots from Organic and Conventional Farming Systems in the Netherlands
- Author: mycolabadmin
- 2009-03-20
- View Source
Summary
This research examined the relationship between beneficial soil fungi and onion plants in different farming systems in the Netherlands. The study found that these fungi readily colonize onion roots in both organic and conventional farms, helping plants access nutrients from the soil. The research has important implications for sustainable agriculture and food production.
Impacts on everyday life:
– Better understanding of natural plant-fungal partnerships that can help reduce chemical fertilizer use
– Insights into sustainable farming practices that maintain soil health
– Knowledge that can help improve onion crop yields through natural processes
– Support for developing more environmentally-friendly farming methods
– Potential for reducing farming costs while maintaining crop productivity
Background
Onion has a sparse rooting system without root hairs which makes the crop dependent for water and nutrient acquisition on arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). This dependency is especially important in nutrient-poor soil conditions common in low-input and organic agriculture. AMF enlarge the soil volume from which nutrients can be taken up via an extensive mycelium network, enabling host plants to access more resources.
Objective
To study AMF species richness and composition in onion fields in the Netherlands by comparing organic and conventional cultivation systems, investigating if organic practices on formerly conventionally managed farmlands leads to higher AMF diversity.
Results
All sampled plants were colonized, with 60% arbuscular colonization and 84% hyphal colonization as grand means. In Zeeland, onion roots from organic fields had higher colonization levels than conventional fields. Fourteen AMF phylotypes were identified, with one to six phylotypes per field. Two phylotypes associated with Glomus mosseae-coronatum and G. caledonium-geosporum species complexes were most abundant. Organic and conventional farming systems had similar numbers of phylotypes per field and Shannon diversity indices.
Conclusion
The study did not demonstrate differences in biodiversity of AMF colonizing onion roots between organic and conventional cultivation. A positive correlation between mycorrhizal colonization and onion yield was established for conventional fields, suggesting mycorrhizal benefit even at high nutrient availability. This indicates onions may depend on mycorrhiza even at high nutrient levels due to their limited root system.
- Published in:Mycorrhiza,
- Study Type:Field Survey,
- Source: 10.1007/s00572-009-0237-2