Preliminary investigations on host preferences of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi colonizing grapevine rootstocks in New Zealand

Abstract

Grape production and quality are strongly dependent on soil conditions and composition (1). Grapevine plants are normally mycorrhizal, establishing an interaction with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). These fungi are obligate biotrophs and establish a mutually beneficial relationship when penetrating inside the cortex of plant roots (2). Environmental factors and host plant species could impact the distribution and the composition of AMF communities (3, 4). While AMF are generally regarded as non-specific symbionts, preferred associations between specific fungi and plant species occur in various ecosystems, including vineyards. Due to difficulties in culturing and identifying mycorrhizae, there is a significant knowledge gap regarding the AMF communities associated with grapevines in New Zealand. In this paper, we present preliminary results on the morphological identification and diversity of grapevine AMF communities recovered from a root trap system under controlled conditions.