Changes in the composition of native root arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal communities during a short-term cover crop-maize succession
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Date
2016
Authors
Turrini, Alessandra
Sbrana, Cristiana
Avio, Luciano
Njeru, Ezekiel Mugendi
Bocci, Gionata
Giovannetti, Manuela
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Springer Verlag
Abstract
Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) establish mutualistic
associations with the most important agricultural food
and feed crops, sustaining plant growth, nutrient uptake and
tolerance of biotic and abiotic stresses. Scanty information is
available on the role played by crop identity and diversity as a
driving force shaping AMF species communities in the field,
in particular in low-input and organic farming, where crop
rotation and the use of cover crops are common practices.
Here, using a molecular approach, we investigated whether
plant communities established in low and high diversity cover
crop treatments affect the composition of native AMF root
communities of subsequent maize in a Mediterranean organic
agroecosystem. A total of 16 AMF sequence types were detected,
with Acaulospora cavernata as the most abundant phylotype,
accounting for 37.4 % of the sequences, followed by
Funneliformis mosseae, Claroideoglomus lamellosum and
Rhizoglomus intraradices. Sequences matching to
Funneliformis caledonium, Diversispora aurantia,
Diversispora epigaea and Archaeospora schenckii
corresponded to less than 2.0 % of the total. The most abundant
sequences retrieved in plants from cover crop treatments
were represented by A. cavernata, while sequences in maize
roots were related to F. mosseae, R. intraradices and Glomus
sp. Such data show for the first time a change in the composition
of native AMF communities colonizing maize roots,
which was independent of the identity and diversity of the
preceding crop. Our findings suggest that host preference
may represent a strong driver of AMF community dynamics
in agroecosystems, differentially boosting or depressing AMF
species, possibly in relation to their functional significance.
Description
DOI 10.1007/s00374-016-1106-8
Keywords
Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, Cover crop diversity, AMF diversity, Glomeromycota, Small ribosomal subunit (SSU rDNA), Native AMF communities