Introduction and persistence of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal inoculum

丛枝菌根真菌接种物的引入和持久性

• 批准号: RGPIN-2018-03930
• 负责人: Hart, Miranda
• 金额: $ 2.91万
• 依托单位: University of British Columbia
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2018
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2018-01-01 至 2019-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=653124
• 关键词: Introduction; persistence; arbuscular; mycorrhizal; fungal

Worldwide, there is increasing use of biofertilizers, in particular arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungal inoculants. In nature, these root-dwelling fungi are essential, providing their host plants with a benefits such as improved nutrient uptake, water relations and pathogen defense. Because of these benefits, there is a global industry for AM fungal biofertilizers, and they are marketed for use in agriculture, gardening and landscape restoration. ***Despite the increased uptake by growers around the world, there is little to indicate that these inoculants promote plant or soil health. Further, these inoculants have not been properly vetted, so evidence for their efficacy is scant, incomplete, or lacking altogether. Basic questions about their performance remain to be answered: What are the factors that determine establishment success? Can growers ensure a positive outcome? Currently, there are no recommendations for growers on best practices, nor can they monitor inoculation success. ***Perhaps more troubling is that the scientific community has almost no idea of the consequences of biofertilizer use. Only a small number of AM fungal genotypes are commercially produced. These isolates have undergone intense selection for aggressive growth and generalist growth habit. These traits render them an invasion threat, but there is no information on the fate of these inoculants in natural systems.***My research looks at factors affecting inoculant establishment and persistence in a novel system. Using greenhouse and field studies, I will use plant and fungal traits to predict which fungi are most likely to establish and persist in the field. Specifically, I will track the inoculation for commercial and local fungi using molecular probes under different host and soil scenarios. I will test for invasion risk by surveying dispersal vectors in real-world agricultural settings, using molecular probes to track the inoculants. Additionally, in a global survey, I will establish baseline occurrence for the world's most widely used AM fungal biofertilizer. Finally, using Next Generation Sequencing, I will evaluate how these introductions affect the local fungal communities.***Currently, the use of AM fungal biofertilizers represents at best a financial risk for growers. At worst, these inoculants may perturb local soil and plant communities, possibly disrupting ecosystem functioning. This is a clear case where industrial practices are not supported by scientific knowledge. The ethical, and economic implications of such oversight are profound, ranging from customer quality assurance to soil biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. ***The products of this research will help inform both practitioners and policy makers about the use of AM fungal inoculum. It will also help form the basis of a best practices tool for growers wishing to use AM fungal inoculum.

在世界范围内，生物肥料的使用越来越多，特别是丛枝菌根（AM）真菌接种剂。在自然界中，这些根栖真菌是必不可少的，为它们的寄主植物提供了诸如改善营养吸收、水关系和病原体防御等益处。由于这些好处，AM真菌生物肥料有一个全球产业，它们被销售用于农业，园艺和景观恢复。***尽管世界各地的种植者对接种剂的吸收有所增加，但几乎没有迹象表明这些接种剂能促进植物或土壤健康。此外，这些接种剂没有经过适当的审查，因此其有效性的证据不足，不完整，或完全缺乏。关于他们业绩的基本问题仍有待回答：决定企业成功的因素是什么？种植者能否确保取得积极成果？目前，对种植者没有关于最佳做法的建议，他们也不能监测接种的成功。也许更令人不安的是科学界对使用生物肥料的后果几乎一无所知。只有少数AM真菌基因型被商业化生产。这些分离株经历了激烈的选择，具有侵略性生长和通才生长习惯。这些特性使它们成为入侵威胁，但没有关于这些接种剂在自然系统中的命运的信息。我的研究着眼于影响接种剂在新系统中建立和持续的因素。通过温室和田间研究，我将利用植物和真菌的性状来预测哪些真菌最有可能在田间生根并持续存在。具体来说，我将使用分子探针在不同的宿主和土壤情况下跟踪商业和当地真菌的接种。我将通过调查真实农业环境中的传播媒介来测试入侵风险，使用分子探针跟踪接种剂。此外，在一项全球调查中，我将为世界上最广泛使用的AM真菌生物肥料建立基线发生率。最后，使用下一代测序，我将评估这些引入如何影响当地真菌群落。***目前，使用AM真菌生物肥料对种植者来说顶多是一种财务风险。在最坏的情况下，这些接种剂可能扰乱当地的土壤和植物群落，可能破坏生态系统的功能。这是一个工业实践没有科学知识支持的明显案例。这种监督的伦理和经济影响是深远的，从客户质量保证到土壤生物多样性和生态系统功能。***本研究的产品将有助于告知从业者和政策制定者AM真菌接种物的使用。这也将有助于为希望使用AM真菌接种物的种植者形成最佳实践工具的基础。