Improvement of Nutritional Quality of Tomato Fruit with Funneliformis mosseae Inoculation under Greenhouse Conditions

Abstract

Long-term soil mining with extensive cultivation practices and traditional breeding methods have declined the flavor and nutritional value of tomatoes. Apart from important mineral nutrients (i.e., nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium), fungi known as arbuscular mycorrhizae (AM) can considerably improve the quality of agricultural production through higher phosphate uptake. Using hydroponically cultured commercially available tomato cultivars, we investigated the possible effects of mycorrhizae in improving the nutritional quality of tomato fruit. Funneliformis mosseae (syn. Glomus mosseae)-inoculated tomato plants were grown on a 1:1 mixture of peat and vermiculite, and different phosphorus levels were applied. RNAseq and metabolites were studied to confirm the relative gene expression and metabolites in fruit tissues. The results showed that AM inoculation with low phosphorus can significantly improve important fruit-quality traits such as free amino acids, lycopene (47.9%), and β-carotene (29.6%) without compromising the yield. Further, differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified by comparing the nutritional and ripening potential of fruits produced by mycorrhizal and non-mycorrhizal plants. Notably, carotenoids and sugars (BRIX values) were found to be higher in mycorrhized plants in contrast to non-mycorrhized plants. Therefore, the current study suggests mycorrhization as a promising approach for the production of high-quality tomato fruit for human consumption.