Abstract
Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are ubiquitous in cultivated soils, forming symbiotic relationships with the roots of major crop species. Studies in controlled conditions have demonstrated the potential of AMF to enhance the growth of host plants. However, it is difficult to estimate the actual benefit in the field, not least because of the lack of suitable AMF-free controls. Here we implement a novel strategy using the selective incorporation of AMF-resistance into a genetic mapping population to evaluate maize response to AMF. We found AMF to account for about one-third of the grain production in a medium input field, as well as to affect the relative performance of different plant genotypes. Characterization of the genetic architecture of the host response indicated a trade-off between mycorrhizal dependence and benefit. We identified several QTL linked to host benefit, supporting the feasibility of breeding crops to maximize profit from symbiosis with AMF.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | e61701 |
| Pages (from-to) | 1-18 |
| Number of pages | 18 |
| Journal | eLife |
| Volume | 9 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Oct 2020 |
Funding
We thank Beda Angehrn and Mario Rivera (UNISEM) for assistance with field evaluation, Cruz Robledo (PV Winter Nurseries) for support with generating material, and Jessica Carcaño-Macias for technical support and seed stock management. We acknowledge Karina Picazarri-Delgado for assistance with preliminary mutant characterization, Nathan Miller for supporting the image analysis, and editors and reviewers for valuable feedback. The maize castor mutant was first described in the M. Sc. thesis Ramírez-Flores MR. (2015) Caracterización genética de mutantes de HUN e IXBA, ortólo-gos de maíz de los canales de potasio CASTOR y POLLUX. Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Mexico. This study was funded by the Mexican Comi-sión Nacional para el Conocimiento y Uso de la Biodiversidad (CONABIO) project Impact of native arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi on maize performance (N˚ 62, 2016–2018). MRR-F was supported by a Ph.D. scholarship from the Mexican Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (CONACYT). DA and UP are supported by the research project Engineering the Nitrogen Symbiosis for Africa (ENSA), which is funded by a grant to the University of Cambridge by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO). RJHS is supported by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture and Hatch Appropriations under Project #PEN04734 and Accession #1021929. We thank Beda Angehrn and Mario Rivera (UNISEM) for assistance with field evaluation, Cruz Robledo (PV Winter Nurseries) for support with generating material, and Jessica Carca?o-Macias for technical support and seed stock management. We acknowledge Karina Picazarri-Delgado for assistance with preliminary mutant characterization, Nathan Miller for supporting the image analysis, and editors and reviewers for valuable feedback. The maize castor mutant was first described in the M. Sc. thesis Ram?rez-Flores MR. (2015) Caracterizaci?n gen?tica de mutantes de HUN e IXBA, ort?lo-gos de ma?z de los canales de potasio CASTOR y POLLUX. Centro de Investigaci?n y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Polit?cnico Nacional, Mexico. This study was funded by the Mexican Comi-si?n Nacional para el Conocimiento y Uso de la Biodiversidad (CONABIO) project Impact of native arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi on maize performance (N? 62, 2016?2018). MRR-F was supported by a Ph.D. scholarship from the Mexican Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnolog?a (CONACYT). DA and UP are supported by the research project Engineering the Nitrogen Symbiosis for Africa (ENSA), which is funded by a grant to the University of Cambridge by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO). RJHS is supported by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture and Hatch Appropriations under Project #PEN04734 and Accession #1021929.