Title : Exploring role of Rhizophagus proliferus in soil-carbon dynamics and plant health: Implications for agricultural and environmental sustainability
Abstract:
Rhizophagus proliferus, an arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi, has saprophytic activities, distinguishing it as a significant contributor to soil and plant health. AM fungi help in the soil’s carbon dynamics by exerting a demand for plant carbon (C) and facilitating its distribution via below-ground hyphal biomass and spores by producing glycoproteins. Despite their substantial role in enhancing net primary productivity and augmenting the accumulation of photosynthetically fixed C in soil, the potential interactions of AM fungi with soil and their effects on soil carbon cycling remain largely unexplored. In this study, we investigated the beneficial impact of Rhizophagus proliferus on soil organic carbon and the growth of the host plant Peppermint (Mentha piperita) under in vivo conditions. Our observations revealed a substantial enhancement in total and available organic carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and macroaggregates in the soil of treatment sets inoculated with Rhizophagus proliferus compared to control sets. Additionally, a two-fold increase in both plant height and root length were observed in treatment sets than in control sets. These findings indicate the increase in carbon sequestration and soil carbon storage facilitated by the higher hyphal biomass and soil aggregates in the treated soil. Our study offers a foundation for further exploration into the relationship between Rhizophagus proliferus and soil carbon dynamics and their influence on carbon assimilation and transportation. Enhanced comprehension of these relationships holds the potential to optimize our utilization of symbiotic interactions for sustainable agricultural and environmental benefits.
