Soil microbiome indicators can predict crop growth response to large-scale inoculation with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) can enhance plant nutrient uptake and reduce plant stress, offering a sustainable alternative to agrochemicals. However, large-scale field inoculation trials have yielded unpredictable results. This study conducted on-farm experiments in 54 Swiss maize fields, revealing highly variable growth responses to AMF inoculation (-12% to +40%). Using soil parameters and microbiome indicators, the study successfully predicted 86% of the variation in plant growth response. The abundance of pathogenic fungi, more than nutrient availability, best predicted AMF inoculation success (33%). Soil microbiome indicators provide a sustainable biotechnological approach to predict inoculation success, enhancing the profitability of microbiome engineering in sustainable agricultural management.

Stefanie Lutz, Natacha Bodenhausen, Julia Hess, Alain Valzano-Held, Jan Waelchli, Gabriel Deslandes-Hérold, Klaus Schlaeppi, Marcel G. A. van der Heijden