Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Analysis of a large dataset of mycorrhiza inoculation field trials on potato shows highly significant increases in yield

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Mycorrhiza Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

An increasing human population requires more food production in nutrient-efficient systems in order to simultaneously meet global food needs while reducing the environmental footprint of agriculture. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) have the potential to enhance crop yield, but their efficiency has yet to be demonstrated in large-scale crop production systems. This study reports an analysis of a dataset consisting of 231 field trials in which the same AMF inoculant (Rhizophagus irregularis DAOM 197198) was applied to potato over a 4-year period in North America and Europe under authentic field conditions. The inoculation was performed using a liquid suspension of AMF spores that was sprayed onto potato seed pieces, yielding a calculated 71 spores per seed piece. Statistical analysis showed a highly significant increase in marketable potato yield (ANOVA, P < 0.0001) for inoculated fields (42.2 tons/ha) compared with non-inoculated controls (38.3 tons/ha), irrespective of trial year. The average yield increase was 3.9 tons/ha, representing 9.5 % of total crop yield. Inoculation was profitable with a 0.67-tons/ha increase in yield, a threshold reached in almost 79 % of all trials. This finding clearly demonstrates the benefits of mycorrhizal-based inoculation on crop yield, using potato as a case study. Further improvements of these beneficial inoculants will help compensate for crop production deficits, both now and in the future.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Bell TH, Joly S, Pitre FE, Yergeau E (2014) Increasing phytoremediation efficiency and reliability using novel omics approaches. Trends Biotechnol 32:271–280

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Black RLB, Tinker PB (1977) Interaction between effects of vesicular–arbuscular mycorrhiza and fertiliser phosphorus on yields of potatoes in the field. Nature 267:510–511

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Brentrup F, Palliere C (2010) Nitrogen use efficiency as an agro-environmental indicator. http://www.oecd.org/tad/sustainable-agriculture/44810433.pdf. Accessed 19 June 2015

  • Ceballos I, Ruiz M, Fernandez C, Pena R, Rodriguez A, Sanders IR (2013) The in vitro mass-produced model mycorrhizal fungus, rhizophagus irregularis, significantly increases yields of the globally important food security crop cassava. PLoS One 8(8):e70633

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Ceresana (2013) Market Study Fertilizers - World. http://www.ceresana.com/en/market-studies/agriculture/fertilizers-world/. Accessed 19 June 2015

  • Coulombe J, Désilets H (1999) Assess the effect of mycorrhizal inoculant in the field on the yield and quality of potatoes. http://mykepro.com/PTBEnvoiDocument/Documents/POTATO_0799_A_10036.pdf. Accessed 19 June 2015

  • Dai M, Hamel C, Bainard LD, Arnaud MS, Grant CA, Lupwayi NZ, Malhi SS, Lemke R (2014) Negative and positive contributions of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal taxa to wheat production and nutrient uptake efficiency in organic and conventional systems in the Canadian prairie. Soil Biol Biochem 74:156–166

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Davies JFT, Calderòn CM, Huaman Z, Gòmez R (2005) Influence of a flavonoid (formononetin) on mycorrhizal activity and potato crop productivity in the highlands of Peru. Sci Hortic 106:318–329

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Douds DD, Nagahashi G, Reider C, Hepperly PR (2007) Inoculation with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi increases the yield of potatoes in a high P soil. Biol Agric Hortic 25:67–78

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Douds DD, Nagahashi G, Hepperly PR (2010) On-farm production of inoculum of indigenous arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and assessment of diluents of compost for inoculum production. Bioresour Technol 101:2326–2330

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • EPA (2012) http://epa.gov/climatechange/ghgemissions/gases/n2o.html. Accessed 19 June 2015

  • Epstein SS (2013) The phenomenon of microbial uncultivability. Curr Opin Microbiol 16(5):636–642

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Fortin JA, Plenchette C, Piché Y (2009) Mycorrhizas: the new green revolution (trans: coughlan AP). Édition Multimondes, Quebec

    Google Scholar 

  • Gianinazzi SG (2014) Domestication of beneficial soil microorganisms: an innovative technology for agriculture. International Congress on Mycorrhizae, Marrakesh, p 26

    Google Scholar 

  • Graham JH, Abbott LK (2000) Wheat responses to aggressive and non-aggressive arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. Plant and Soil 220:207–218

  • Hayman DS, Johnson AM, Ruddlesdin L (1975) The influence of phosphate and crop species on endogone spores and vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhiza under field conditions. Plant Soil 43:489–495

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ismail Y, Hijri M (2012) Arbuscular mycorrhisation with Glomus irregulare induces expression of potato PR homologues genes in response to infection by Fusarium sambucinum. Funct Plant Biol 39:236–245

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ismail Y, McCormick S, Hijri M (2011) A fungal symbiont of plant-roots modulates mycotoxin gene expression in the pathogen Fusarium sambucinum. PLoS One 6(3):e17990

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Ismail Y, McCormick S, Hijri M (2013) The arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus, Glomus irregulare, controls the mycotoxin production of Fusarium sambucinum in the pathogenesis of potato. FEMS Microbiol Lett 384:46–51

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Janzen HH, Fixen P, Franzluebbers AJ, Hattey J, Izaurralde RC, Ketterings QM, Lobb DA, Schlesinger WH (2011) Global prospects rooted in soil science. Soil Sci Soc Am J 75:1–8

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Koide R, Elliott G (1989) Cost, benefit and efficiency of the vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis. Funct Ecol 3:252–255

    Google Scholar 

  • National Agricultural Statistics Service, United States Department of Agriculture http://www.nass.usda.gov/Publications/Todays_Reports/reports/uscapo15.pdf. Accessed 19 June 2015

  • Nelson KE, Jones-Nelson B (2012) Genomics applications for the developing world. Advances in microbial ecology, springer New York imprint. Springer, New York

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Paerl HW, Otten TG (2012) Harmful cyanobacterial blooms: causes, consequences, and controls. Microb Ecol 65:995–1010

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Redecker D, Kodner R, Graham LE (2000) Glomalean fungi from the Ordovician. Science 289:1920–1921

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Reid A, Greene SE (2013) How can microbes help feed the world? A report from the American Society of Microbiology. http://academy.asm.org/images/stories/documents/FeedTheWorld.pdf. Accessed 19 June 2015

  • Rodriguez A, Sanders IR (2015) The role of community and population ecology in applying mycorrhizal fungi for improved food security. ISME J 9:1053–1061

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Ryan MH, Angus JF (2003) Arbuscular mycorrhizae in wheat and field pea crops on a low P soil: increased Zn-uptake but no increase in P-uptake or yield. Plant Soil 250:225–239

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ryan MH, Kirkegaard JA (2012) The agronomic relevance of arbuscular mycorrhizas in the fertility of Australian extensive cropping systems. Agric Ecosyst Environ 163:37–53

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ryan MH, Van Herwaarden AF, Angus JF, Kirkegaard JA (2005) Reduced growth of autumn-sown wheat in a low-P soil is associated with high colonisation by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. Plant Soil 270:275–286

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Smith SE, Read DJ (2008) Mycorrhizal symbiosis, 3rd edn. Academic, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Staley JT, Konopka A (1985) Measurement of in situ activities of nonphotosynthetic microorganisms in aquatic and terrestrial habitats. Annu Rev Microbiol 39:321–346

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Stefani FOP, Bell TH, Marchand C, de la Providencia IE, El Yassimi A, St-Arnaud M, Hijri M (2015) Culture-dependent and independent methods capture different microbial community fractions in hydrocarbon-contaminated soils. PLoS One 10(6):e0128272

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Stewart WM, Dibb DW, Johnston AE, Smyth TJ (2005) The contribution of commercial fertilizer nutrients to food production. Agron J 97:1–6

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vierheilig H, Coughlan AP, Wyss U, Piché Y (1998) Ink and vinegar, a simple staining technique for arbuscular-mycorrhizal fungi. Appl Environ Microbiol 64(12):5004–5007

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Wu F, Wang W, Ma Y, Liu Y, Ma X, An L, Feng H (2013) Prospect of beneficial microorganisms applied in potato cultivation for sustainable agriculture. Afr J Microbiol Res 7:2150–2158

    Google Scholar 

  • Xavier LJC (1998) Response of spring wheat cultivars to Glomus clarum NT4 in a P-deficient soil containing arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. Can J Soil Sci 78:481–484

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), which is greatly acknowledged. I thank Drs. Serge Gagné, Pierre Talbot, Claude Samson, Judith Francoeur, and Philippe Cruypenninck and Premier Tech Biotechnologies for allowing access to their raw data and for their support. I thank all farmers involved in these trials for their contributions. I also thank Stéphane Daigle and Laurence Jochem-Tanguay for assistance with statistics and data collection and Drs. David Morse, Marc St-Arnaud, Chantal Hamel, Denis Beaudet, Patrick James, Terrence Bell, and Peter Phillips for comments and discussions on the manuscript. I thank two anonymous reviewers for their helpful comments.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institut de Recherche en Biologie Végétale, Département de Sciences Biologiques, Université de Montréal, 4101 Rue Sherbrooke Est, Montréal, QC, H1X 2B2, Canada

    Mohamed Hijri

Authors
  1. Mohamed Hijri
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Mohamed Hijri.

Electronic supplementary material

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

Fig. S1

(DOCX 50 kb)

Table S1

(XLSX 77 kb)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Hijri, M. Analysis of a large dataset of mycorrhiza inoculation field trials on potato shows highly significant increases in yield. Mycorrhiza 26, 209–214 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00572-015-0661-4

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00572-015-0661-4

Keywords

Search

Navigation