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RESEARCH PRODUCT

Mycorrhizal inocula: innovations or more rational use?

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International audience; At present, commercial arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) inocula are produced in nursery plots, containers with different substrates and plants, aeroponic systems or, more recently, in vitro (1). Different formulated products are available on the market, which creates the need for the establishment of standards for widely accepted quality control. In particular, inoculum formulation should be optimised for maximum symbiosis efficiency together with the absence of pathogens. In some methods of inoculum production the presence of other soil microbes cannot be avoided. In these cases technological innovations are requested for monitoring microbial populations for an optimal mycorrhizal effect. Selected microbes could also be used for complementing pure AM inocula. Progress in mycorrhizal engineering ecology is also necessary for a more rational use of inocula in nursery and field applications (2): assessment of the viability of AM inocula under specific culture conditions should become a common practice using available, or developing new tools. A substantial progress can be expected from a holistic approach in inoculum engineering integrating other multifunctional inocula (3) and/or signal molecules involved in plant development and health (e.g. natural elicitors of plant resistance). (1) Gianinazzi S and Vosàtka M, 2004, Inoculum of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi for production systems: science meets business. Can.J.Bot. 82,1264-1271. (2) Farmer et al., 2007, Molecular monitoring of field-inoculated AMF to evaluate persistence in sweet potato crops in China. Applied Soil Ecology 35,599-609. (3) Cordier C et al., 2000, The beneficial rhizosphere: a necessary strategy for microplant production. Acta Hort.530, 259-268.