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Mycorrhizae and grapevines: the known unknowns of their interaction for wine growers’ challenges

Summary

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) form beneficial partnerships with grapevine roots, improving plant health and wine quality. These fungi help grapevines absorb water and nutrients more efficiently, making them more resistant to drought and diseases. The effectiveness of this partnership depends on which specific fungi are present, the type of grapevine rootstock used, and how vineyard soil is managed. As climate change creates new challenges for wine growers, using AMF as natural biostimulants could help grapevines better tolerate heat, drought, and other stresses.

Background

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) play an important role in grapevine production systems by establishing symbiotic relationships with grapevine roots. However, knowledge gaps remain regarding how this relationship develops in nurseries and how soil management practices influence its effectiveness and derived benefits.

Objective

To review current knowledge on the establishment of grapevine-AMF relationships from nursery to field, identify main factors affecting symbiosis effectiveness, evaluate the potential role of AMF as biostimulants in grapevine production, and discuss future perspectives for AMF use under climate change conditions.

Results

The review demonstrates that mycorrhizal symbiosis effectiveness depends on fungal identity, grapevine genotype diversity, rootstock characteristics, soil management practices, and edaphoclimatic conditions. AMF inoculation enhances plant growth and stress tolerance under controlled conditions but effects vary under field conditions. Key factors include strigolactone signaling, rootstock-AMF compatibility, and native microbiome composition.

Conclusion

While AMF show promise as biostimulants for addressing climate change challenges including drought, salinity, and pathogen stress, further research is needed on nursery establishment dynamics, field-level efficacy, and optimal soil management practices. Protection of native AMF communities is crucial for developing durable and resilient plant-fungal associations in viticulture.
  • Published in:Journal of Experimental Botany,
  • Study Type:Review,
  • Source: PMID: 40066981, DOI: 10.1093/jxb/eraf081
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