Chapter 17 Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Symbiosis in Temperate Grassland Forage Species of Argentina

ILEANA V. GARCÍA; TOMÁS A. CHIPPANO

Mycorrhizal Fungi in South America

Springer Nature

Año: 2022; p. 339 - 356

Grasslandsare the sources of many agronomic productions, livestock systems, andenvironmental issues with positive and recognized impacts on water quality andbiodiversity. Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi are one of the most commonroot-associated soil biota, which influence plant productivity. In this sense,AM fungi are of high value for the functioning and sustainability ofgrasslands. Soil characteristics, plant species and climate factors are knownto influence AM fungal communities in temperate grassland ecosystems of SouthAmerica. Thus, the uses of these environments for raising livestock as well asthe addition of fertilizers to increase the forage resource are agronomicpractices which modify not only the plant communities but also the AM fungalcommunities andthen the benefits of this fungal group on plant development. On the other hand,phosphorus (P) fertilization is necessary to obtain maximum forage yield inmost P-deficient grassland soils. However, when P availability in the soilincreases due to the fertilization, both AM root colonization and mycorrhizalresponse decrease in several plant species, even if AM fungi can still beactively contributing to plant P uptake. Compared with agricultural crops,little is known about the effect of grazing/defoliation or P fertilization onthe symbiosis between forage species and AM fungal communities from grassland soilsof Argentina. Specially, this chapter discusses the ecological role of AMsymbiosis on the functioning of temperate grasslands of Argentina as valuableinformation to promote better management of forage land sustainably whileincreasing forage production and preserve the beneficial effects of AMcommunities in these ecosystems. We focus mainlyon the effects of grazing/defoliation and P fertilization on the mycorrhizalstatus and AM benefits on forage species growing on grassland soils of theArgentine Flooding Pampa.