Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi Diversity in Two Different Regions in Saudi Arabia (original) (raw)
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From isolation to application: a case study of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi of the Arabian Peninsula
Symbiosis, 2021
The vegetation in the Arabian Peninsula experiences drought, heat, soil salinity, and low fertility, mainly due to low phosphorus (P) availability. The beneficial mycorrhizal symbiosis between plants and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) is a key factor supporting plant growth under such environmental conditions. Therefore, AMF strains isolated from these soils might be useful as biotechnological tools for agriculture and revegetation practices in the region. Here we present a pioneering program to isolate, identify, and apply AMF isolated from rhizosphere soils of agricultural and natural habitats, namely date palm plantations and five native desert plants, respectively in the Southern Arabian Peninsula. We established taxonomically unique AMF species as single-spore cultures as part of an expanding collection of AMF strains adapted to arid ecosystems. Preliminary experiments were conducted to evaluate the abilities of these AMF strains to promote seedling growth of a main crop Ph...
Aspects of Mycorrhizae in Desert Plants
Mycorrhizal symbioses are critical to desert plants since they face the challenges of scarce, sporadic precipitation, nutrient deficiencies, intense solar radiation, and the high temperatures found in hot deserts. Deserts are covering increasingly more of the Earth's surface area as desertification increases globally. Mycorrhizal desert plants have a greater chance of survival in the harsh desert environment. Desert plants form mycorrhizae with endomycorrhizal arbuscular fungi and with ectomycorrhizal fungi. Both form extensive networks of hyphae in the soil, and glomalin, a glycoprotein produced by hyphae of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, is crucial in soil structure and carbon storage. Mycorrhizal desert plants are important in agriculture, ecosystem biology, and conservation of the deserts.
Journal of Arid Land, 2014
Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are known to facilitate the growth and vigour of many plants, particularly in arid ecosystems. In a survey of AMF in a date palm plantation and two natural sites of a desert in Oman, we generated many single spore-derived cultures of AMF. We identified a number of these isolates based on spore morphotyping and molecular phylogenetic analysis using the sequence of the LSU-rDNA. Here, we presented the characteristics of four species of AMF recovered, namely Claroideoglomus drummondii, Diversispora aurantia, Diversispora spurca and Funneliformis africanum. The four species have been described previously, but for the Arabian Peninsula they are reported here for the first time. Our endeavor of isolation and characterization of some AMF habituated to arid sites of Arabia represents a first step towards application for environmental conservation and sustainable agriculture in this region.
Mycorrhiza, 2015
Field studies have revealed the impact of changing water regimes on the structure of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal (AMF) communities, but it is not known what happens to the abundance of individual AMF species within the community when the water conditions in the rhizosphere change. The behavior of four AMF species isolated from the Arabian desert (Diversispora aurantia, Diversispora omaniana, Septoglomus africanum, and an undescribed Paraglomus species) was investigated when assembled in microcosms containing Sorghum bicolor as host plant, and treated with various water regimes. Furthermore, the impact of invasion of these assemblages by Rhizophagus irregularis, an AMF species widely used in commercial inocula, was studied. The abundance of each AMF species in sorghum roots was measured by determining the transcript numbers of their large ribosomal subunit (rLSU) by real-time PCR, using cDNA and species-specific primers. Plant biomass and length of AMF extraradical hyphae were also...
Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi are well known for their benefit to the plants surviving under harsh environmental conditions. To understand better their interaction with arid region plants various arbuscular mycorrhizal species are to be studied in greater detail. Here, the aim was to investigate the species diversity of the mycorrhizal genus Glomus associated with some important plants of the Indian Thar Desert. Identification and characterization were made on spore morphology. Glomus aggregatum turned out to be the most frequent and abundant Glomus species in the arid Indian Thar Desert.
Diversity
Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are determinant for the performance of plant communities and for the functionality of terrestrial ecosystems. In natural ecosystems, grazing can have a major impact on mycorrhizal fungi and consequently on plant growth. The objective of this study was to evaluate the statements referred above in Mediterranean arid areas in Tunisia. Root samples and rhizosphere soils of five dominant herbaceous plants were studied at six distinct arid sites differing on soil proprieties and grazing intensity. At each site, chemical and dynamic properties of the soil were characterized as well as the AMF colonization intensity and the soil functionality. Results showed that the mycorrhizal frequency and intensity and spore density, varied between plants in the same site and, for each plant, between sites and evidenced a positive effect of mycorrhized plants on soil microbial activity. Grazing and soil properties strongly affected AMF composition and the soil microbia...
Journal of Arid Environments, 2003
This study was conducted to evaluate the population of the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) in the semi-rid agro-ecosystem of North Jordan and to evaluate the effect of the biotic and abiotic factors on AMF population. Soil samples were collected from 12 locations where several soil samples were collected from each location. The collected soil samples were analysed for chemical and physical properties and spores were separated from the soil by the floating-adhesion technique and examined by the dissecting microscope. The AMF spores densities vary among locations and crops. The spore density was relatively low, with the highest observed under fruit trees and the lowest under a fallow system. Eight species were identified. Glomus mosseae was the most common species among samples, which was found in 85% of the soil samples collected. G. geosporum was found in 20%, while G. constrictum and G. clarum were found in 10% of the samples collected. G. caledomium was found in 8% of the samples. The lowest occurrence was observed for the G. monosporum and G. clariodum, which were found in only 5% of samples collected. Twenty percent of the samples collected contained Acaulospora spp. The spore density was not clearly affected neither by the host plants nor by the location, which suggest the absence of location or plant specificity for the AMF observed in soils of North Jordan. This may suggest that other factors could have an effect on mycorrhizal distribution. Therefore, biotic factors may be relatively less important than abiotic factors for establishing population patterns. The spore density of AMF had a very weak correlation with the soil pH and electrical conductivity (EC), and no significant correlation with the percentages of soil clay and silt particles. The organic matter (OM) and CaCO 3 percentages were significantly positively correlated with AMF spore density. On the other hand, the AMF spore density was negatively related to the soil phosphorus. In conclusion, the G. mosseae was the most common AMF species and no host plant or geographic location specificity was observed, suggesting the population of AMF species was affected mainly by abiotic factors and cropping patterns.
Survey of Indigenous Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi under Ecosystem of Saudi Arabia
Journal of Pure and Applied Microbiology, 2014
Distribution and colonization of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi were studied under plant vegetation, which was found growing naturally in the near edges of the old road between Jeddah to Mecca at western of Saudi Arabia kingdom, during the period between May to September 2013. One hundred and twenty five roots and rhizospheric soils of 12 plant species belonging to 8 families from 25 sites at different 3 locations were collected and examined. Mycorrhizal fungi were recorded in 11 taxa, 3 genera, 3 families, 2 orders, one class and one phylum from all sites. On the generic level, Glomus was the dominant genus in rhizospheric soil, which Glomus sinusum (Gerd. & Bakshi) Almeida & Schenck and G. macrocarpum Tulasne & Tulasne were the dominant species associated with examined plant species. The plants to family Asclepiadaceae were contained of 43.85% from total collected spores in all study sites. On the other hand the average of distribution species of mycorrhizal fungi in all examined plants between 2 and 5 species for plant family. The G. macrocarpum was recorded in 10 sites out of 25 sites collected from different locations.