TY - JOUR

T1 - Agricultural practices to improve nitrogen use efficiency through the use of arbuscular mycorrhizae

T2 - basic and agronomic aspects

AU - Verzeaux, Julien

AU - Hirel, Bertrand

AU - Dubois, Frédéric

AU - Lea, Peter J.

AU - Tétu, Thierry

N1 - This is the author’s version of a work that was accepted for publication in Plant Science. Changes resulting from the publishing process, such as peer review, editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms may not be reflected in this document. Changes may have been made to this work since it was submitted for publication. A definitive version was subsequently published in Plant Science, 264, 2017 DOI: 10.1016/j.plantsci.2017.08.004

PY - 2017/11

Y1 - 2017/11

N2 - Nitrogen cycling in agroecosystems is heavily dependent upon arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) present in the soil microbiome. These fungi develop obligate symbioses with various host plant species, thus increasing their ability to acquire nutrients. However, AMF are particularly sensitive to physical, chemical and biological disturbances caused by human actions that limit their establishment. For a more sustainable agriculture, it will be necessary to further investigate which agricultural practices could be favorable to maximize the benefits of AMF to improve crop nitrogen use efficiency (NUE), thus reducing nitrogen (N) fertilizer usage. Direct seeding, mulch-based cropping systems prevent soil mycelium disruption and increase AMF propagule abundance. Such cropping systems lead to more efficient root colonization by AMF and thus a better establishment of the plant/fungal symbiosis. In addition, the use of continuous cover cropping systems can also enhance the formation of more efficient interconnected hyphal networks between mycorrhizae colonized plants. Taking into account both fundamental and agronomic aspects of mineral nutrition by plant/AMF symbioses, we have critically described, how improving fungal colonization through the reduction of soil perturbation and maintenance of an ecological balance could be helpful for increasing crop NUE.

AB - Nitrogen cycling in agroecosystems is heavily dependent upon arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) present in the soil microbiome. These fungi develop obligate symbioses with various host plant species, thus increasing their ability to acquire nutrients. However, AMF are particularly sensitive to physical, chemical and biological disturbances caused by human actions that limit their establishment. For a more sustainable agriculture, it will be necessary to further investigate which agricultural practices could be favorable to maximize the benefits of AMF to improve crop nitrogen use efficiency (NUE), thus reducing nitrogen (N) fertilizer usage. Direct seeding, mulch-based cropping systems prevent soil mycelium disruption and increase AMF propagule abundance. Such cropping systems lead to more efficient root colonization by AMF and thus a better establishment of the plant/fungal symbiosis. In addition, the use of continuous cover cropping systems can also enhance the formation of more efficient interconnected hyphal networks between mycorrhizae colonized plants. Taking into account both fundamental and agronomic aspects of mineral nutrition by plant/AMF symbioses, we have critically described, how improving fungal colonization through the reduction of soil perturbation and maintenance of an ecological balance could be helpful for increasing crop NUE.

KW - Agroecosystem

KW - Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi

KW - Crop Nitrogen Use Efficiency

U2 - 10.1016/j.plantsci.2017.08.004

DO - 10.1016/j.plantsci.2017.08.004

M3 - Journal article

VL - 264

SP - 48

EP - 56

JO - Plant Science

JF - Plant Science

SN - 0168-9452

ER -