Examining arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal communities and their influence on grapevine rootstock growth and nutrient uptake

Abstract

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are crucial components of sustainable agriculture, although the direct connection between AMF community composition and plant benefits still lacks comprehensive evidence. To bridge this knowledge gap, we conducted an experiment involving the manipulation of AMF communities in grapevine rootstock. Through this study, we examined plant growth parameters and physiological responses, aiming to shed light on the intricate relationship between AMF communities and grapevine performance. We conducted a glasshouse experiment employing a 'home' and 'away' approach. This design allowed us to investigate how different AMF communities, originating from both the same soil (‘home’) and other rootstock soils (‘away’), interacted with specific rootstock varieties. Our results showed that rootstocks grown in their 'home' soil AMF communities exhibited greater above and below ground biomass compared to 'away' soil AMF communities, highlighting rootstock specificity. Moreover, AMF communities influenced chlorophyll content and nutrient uptake in grapevine leaves. Our findings also revealed that the presence of specific AMF species in the different communities may deliver particular benefits to grapevine rootstocks. This study has enhanced our understanding of community level AMF-grapevine interactions and provided additional insights of the ecosystem services they deliver which could support sustainable winegrape management. Further research is needed to explore the direct and indirect effects of AMF communities on grape berry biochemistry and metabolic composition.