Mycorrhizal Role in Phosphorus Metabolism

The roots of the plants are in contact with a substrate, and biotic and abiotic factors influence their functioning and development. The most known microorganisms associated with plant roots are soil fungi, which are adapted to the soil's living environment, called mycorrhizae. Arbuscular mycorrhizae are the most common of these associations. In agricultural ecosystems, the constant use of technologies has resulted in a progressive reduction of mycorrhizal diversity. Due to this phenomenon, soil presents a lower potential for the development of multi-level hyphal networks which implies reduced connections between all individuals of a single species. Mycorrhizas offer benefits for the host plant, including mineral nutrition, increased drought tolerance, and protection against pathogens. They play a significant role in acquiring the necessary nutrients (especially phosphorus and nitrogen) from soil to their host plants, as these nutrients may have low mobility in most soils. Plants take up phosphorus from soil indirectly through the hyphal network that can reach outside from the root depletion area. Mycorrhizal association increases the accumulation of nitrogen in the plant as a result of the competition of hyphae for the organic mineralized form of this element.