MABBI – Research conducted by Stefanie Lutz, Natacha Bodenhausen, Julia Hess, Alain Valzano-Held, Jan Waelchli, Gabriel Deslandes-Hérold, Klaus Schlaeppi and Marcel G. A. van der Heijden from Department of Agroecology and Environment Switzerland, Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL) Switzerland, University of Basel, University of Bern, and University of Zürich entitled Soil microbiome indicators can predict crop growth response to large-scale inoculation with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi
Alternative solutions to mineral fertilizers and pesticides that reduce the environmental impact of agriculture are urgently needed. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus (AMF) can increase plant nutrient uptake and reduce plant stress; yet, large-scale field inoculation trials with AMF are missing, and so far, results remain unpredictable. We conducted on-farm experiments in 54 fields in Switzerland and quantified the effects on maize growth. Growth response to AMF inoculation was highly variable, ranging from −12% to +40%. With several soil parameters and mainly soil microbiome indicators, we could successfully predict 86% of the variation in plant growth response to inoculation. The abundance of pathogenic fungi, rather than nutrient availability, best predicted (33%) AMF inoculation success. Our results indicate that soil microbiome indicators offer a sustainable biotechnological perspective to predict inoculation success at the beginning of the growing season. This predictability increases the profitability of microbiome engineering as a tool for sustainable agricultural management. (Tri/MABBI)
Read more:https://www.nature.com/articles/s41564-023-01520-w
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