Potential of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi for soil health:A review

Soil health is an important component of“One Health”.Soils provide habitat to diverse and abundant organisms.Understanding microbial diversity and functions is essential for building healthy soils towards sustainable agriculture.Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi(AMF)form potentially symbiotic associations with approximately 80%of land plant species that are well recognized for carbon flux and nutrient cycling.In addition to disentangling the signaling pathways and regulatory mechanisms between the two partners,recent advances in hyphosphere research highlight some emerging roles of AMF and associated microbes in the delivery of soil functions.This paper reviews the contribution of AMF to soil health in agroecosystems,with a major focus on recent progress in the contribution of hyphosphere microbiome to nutrient cycling,carbon sequestration,and soil aggregation.The hyphosphere microbiome and fungal stimulants open avenues for developing new fertilizer formulas to promote AMF benefits.In practice,developing AMF-friendly management strategies will have long-term positive effects on sustainable agriculture aiming at simultaneously providing food security,increasing resource use efficiency,and maintaining environment integrity.

A temporal framework for building up of healthy soils

Healthy soils are vital for the diverse services provided by ecosystems to human society~[1], such as provisioning(food,fiber, timber, and fuel), regulation(climate, disease, and natural hazards), waste treatment, nutrient cycling, and cultural services. Soil has a three phase system and the interactions between soil chemical, biological, and physical attributes determine functions(hydraulic, thermal, and gas fluxes).

LARGE-SCALE FARMING BENEFITS SOIL ACIDIFICATION ALLEVIATION THROUGH IMPROVED FIELD MANAGEMENT IN BANANA PLANTATIONS

Large-scale farming by agricultural land transfers has been increasingly promoted in recent years,but the possible impacts on crop production,especially cash crops,and soil acidification remain unclear.This study obtained data for 110 banana plantations in Long’an County,China,and categorized them into small(<0.67 ha),medium(0.67−6.7 ha),and large(>6.7 ha)to determine banana cultivation,nutrient management,and soil acidification rates on farms of the three sizes.Banana yield per unit area significantly increased with increased farm size,and large farms had the highest average yield(48.9 t·ha^(−1))with the least variation.Despite a significant increase in organic fertilizer and base cation inputs,nitrogen(N)surplus did not differ significantly with increasing farm size.With large farms,actual soil acidification rate was significantly lower by 19.1 to 24.0 keq·ha^(−1)·yr^(−1);however,potential soil acidification rate increased with increased overuse of phosphorus.Overall,larger banana plantations used fewer mineral N fertilizers reducing the rate of soil acidification and increasing the H+buffering provided by organic fertilizers.It is concluded that larger farms deliver the dual benefits of higher,less variable banana yield and mitigation of soil acidification by substituting organic N for mineral N fertilizers,supporting sustainable soil management and food production.