Title : Arbuscular mycorrhizae in myco-bioremediation of wastelands for sustainable global
Abstract:
Climate change, marketing of irrigation demanding high yielding crop varieties, low affordability of agrochemicals by marginal farmers, natural calamities leaving a large portion of agricultural lands fallow for seasons or years in some developing countries. This barren condition hampers the soil microbiome and fertility of soil, which surely affecting the global crop production. The conventional chemical input depended agriculture is also leading to lose fertility of soil with loss of beneficial microflora, which are intricate part of the nutrient cycle. Beside this, agrochemicals are affecting the insect diversity, hampering ultimately the ecosystem stability, increase carbon foot print and offer health hazards. In this decade, now we want to move to organic farming; low input or no input, circular or natural agriculture without hampering total productivity. In this challenge of maintaining sustainability in both soil and production, Arbuscular mycorrhizae (AM) may be a reliable tool. As AM symbiose with most of the crop plants and function surprisingly in nutrient poor dry soil, they may be utilized to convert these fallow or barren lands fertile at a low cost. AM is not just a substitute of phosphate, they are almost only tool to provide micronutrients to plants; natural bioremediatory agent to reduce soil toxicity, and reduce plant stress in toxic or saline soil; help host plant to overcome drought stress. AM absorb and store the toxic substances in mycelium or plant root by various mechanisms. AM boost up plant immune system and act as a biocontrol agent in pre-inoculation. AM modify the plat root exudates and influence the composition of microflora in hyposphere and rhizosphere. They mostly attract the beneficial microflora or plant growth regulating microbes (PGPM), which also act as mycorrhizae helper organism (MHO) and thus create a ‘Mycorrhizosphere’. The above actions are magnified with time by the ‘mycorrhizospheric effect’ and leads to soil and ecosystem sustainability. A case study (field experiment) showed the sustainable conversion of a lateritic wasteland to fertile land, along with crop production with mycorrhizae and no chemical input. But agrochemicals are intense threat to AM symbiosis and function. High P in soil renders AM inactive. Fungicides hampers AM spore germination, colonization and function. To save the fertility of lands, shift to low input agriculture with mycorrizal inocula is a low-cost excellent option.
Audience Take Away Notes:
- Shift to conventional to alternate agriculture without compromising production, utilise wastelands with simultaneous production and bioremediation.to add global production and uplift the rural economy
- Production technology of mycorrhizal inocula, specially, indigenous
- This concluded research can be further expanded in the future with the following aspects s, field-based studies in bioremediation, socioeconomic benefit, isolation and identification and screening for efficiency of local AM isolates, study the effect of climate change on mycorrhizal symbiosis
