Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi as mediators of ecosystem services related to crop productivity and quality and C equilibrium maintenance.

The management of soil biota is considered a key strategy to maintain and improve ecological services in agro-ecosystems. The plant symbiotic arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) support plant growth, productivity, and soil fertility. However, the evidence of crop benefits following field application of fungal inoculum suggests that intensive agricultural practices, such as frequent and deep tillage, high P or N fertilizer rate, and continuous cropping, have a negative impact on AM fungal abundance in soil. Despite the huge commercial interest in microbial inoculants (biostimulants and biofertilizers), associated with a growing body of research, the detailed molecular, cellular, and physiological mechanisms underlying plant-biostimulant interactions under different environments and management strategies remain largely unknown. This presentation examines the current contributions of AM fungal inoculants to field crops to the increase of production and quality characters and identifies microbial consortia with the greatest potential for supporting ecosystem services, also related to soil organic carbon accumulation.