Influence of Soil Type, Land Use, and Rootstock Genotype on Root-Associated Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi Communities and Their Impact on Grapevine Growth and Nutrition

Soil characteristics, land management practices, and plant genotypes influence arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) communities, leading to the proliferation of AMF taxa with different growth and nutritional outcomes in their hosts. However, the specific patterns driving these relationships are still not well understood. This study aimed to (1) evaluate the influence of soil characteristics, land use, and rootstock on AMF diversity and community structure and (2) assess the effect of those AMF communities on grapevine growth and nutrition. Soil samples were collected from vineyard and non-agricultural areas in Lisbon and Pegoes, Portugal, and trap cultures established using Richter 110 and 1103 Paulsen rootstocks. After 3.5 months growth under greenhouse conditions, root-associated AMF communities were assessed by amplicon metagenomic sequencing using AMF-specific primers. Alpha diversity was only influenced by the soil type, while in beta-diversity, an interaction was found between the soil type and land use. Both diversity measures were positively correlated with foliar K and negatively with leaf Mn and Mg. Notably, the concentrations of these nutrients were highly correlated with the relative abundance of operational taxonomic units (OTUs) within the genera Glomus, Rhizophagus, and Claroideoglomus. These results are valuable for supporting AMF selection for improved plant nutrition based on varying soil types and land uses.

Automated summary

Soil characteristics, land management practices, and plant genotypes affect the diversity and community structure of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), thereby influencing grapevine growth and nutrition. This study provides insights into the relationships between AMF communities and soil types and land uses, and highlights the importance of selecting suitable AMF for improving plant nutrition in different environments.