Abstract

BARRERA B, SILVIA E. ARBUSCULAR MYCORRHIZAL FUNGI AS ALTERNATIVE TO SUSTENTABLE AGRICULTURE. Rev.Bio.Agro [online]. 2009, vol.7, n.1, pp.123-132. ISSN 1692-3561.

The arbuscular mycorrrhizal fungi (AMF) are soil fungi which form mutualistic symbiosis with the roots of plants. The AMF give to the host a variety of benefits with respect to the non-host plants, for example, increased uptake of immobile or low availability nutrients from the soil, enhanced resistance to soil-bome pest and diseases, improved resistance to abiotic stress. The establishment of the symbiosis between AMF and host plants involves a sequence of recognition events leading to the morphological and physiological integrations of the two symbionts. The use of the AMF as biotechnology tool is important, hence the need to know about the effect that soil physical-chemical conditions causing them, to achieve a better profit in agriculture. We can talk about specificity between AMF and host due the responses of AMF to the soil edaphic conditions, plant's metabolisms, root architecture and ecological strategies of the AMF. The use of AMF in agriculture contribute to improve the nutritional level of the plant, however, monocultures in the agroecosystem, may be causing a decline in the AMF diversity and as a result these microorganism could be offering beneficial effects, but restricted to the host.

Keywords : Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi; agriculture; symbiosis; specificity and soil edaphic conditions.

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