Author(s):

Ravi Kumar Meena, Hema Meena, Babu Lal Meena and ML Meena

Abstract: After green revolution the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticide has increased substantially throughout the world which deteriorated quality and health of our natural resources like soil, water and air (Abbasi et al., 2015). So, the production and productivity growth rate of major crops are also stagnated or even declined during this green revolution era. Mycorrhizal associations are extremely abundant in the plant kingdom. Estimates suggest that 74% of all plant species form AMs with fungi of the Glomeromycota clade (Smith & Read, 2008; Brundrett, 2009). Mycorrhizas improve the availability of nutrients which are immobile and have very low diffusive movement. The increase in inorganic nutrient uptake in mycorrhizal plants is mainly because fungal hyphae provide the large surface area for nutrient acquisition to external root surface as compared to uninfected roots (Aggarwal et al., 2011). The combination of an extensive hyphal network and the secretion of glomalin is considered to be an important element in stabilization of soil aggregates (Rillig and Mummey 2006), thereby leading to increased soil structural stability and quality (Bedini et al., 2009; Caravaca et al., 2006). Some of the strains of Mycorrhizal fungi can tolerate heavy metal stress, among which, Glomus intraradices, Glomus mosseae and some other species of Glomus are important (Bano and Ashfaq, 2013). It is also becoming evident that the AM symbiosis can stimulate the synthesis of plant secondary metabolites, which are important for increased plant tolerance to abiotic and biotic stresses or beneficial to human health through their antioxidant activity (Seeram, 2008). Thus Arbuscular mycorrhiza is a holistic approach for sustainable agriculture production, disease management addressing different environmental issues, including ‘carbon-neutral’ energy, ecologically sustainable land.

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