The role of mycorrhizal symbioses in phytotechnology

Abstract

There is a growing interest in using plants to provide low-cost ecosystem services in a diversity of environments (e.g., polluted, degraded, urban). These utilizations of plants are collectively referred to as phytotechnologies. Many plants used in phytotechnological applications are naturally found to associate with mycorrhizal fungi. These fungal associates can provide numerous ecosystem services, or help plants to do so. There is thus an obvious incentive to better understand how mycorrhizal symbioses can assist phytotechnologies. For some phytotechnological applications, the benefits of using mycorrhizal fungi seem well-established, while for others, these benefits are either uncertain or simply unexplored. In all cases, a trait-based, mechanistic understanding of what allows mycorrhizal fungi to provide any benefit/service is urgently needed. This will help to develop reliable, mycorrhiza-assisted phytotechnologies in the future, while also improving our fundamental understanding of the evolution of stress tolerance in these important plant-associated symbionts.