Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) establish symbiotic associations with most terrestrial plants. These soil microorganisms enhance the plant’s nutrient uptake by extending the root absorbing area. In return, the symbiont receives plant carbohydrates for the completion of its life cycle. AMF also helps plants to cope with biotic and abiotic stresses such as salinity, drought, extreme temperature, heavy metal, diseases, and pathogens. For abiotic stresses, the mechanisms of adaptation of AMF to these stresses are generally linked to increased hydromineral nutrition, ion selectivity, gene regulation, production of osmolytes, and the synthesis of phytohormones and antioxidants. Regarding the biotic stresses, AMF are involved in pathogen resistance including competition for colonization sites and improvement of the plant’s defense system. Furthermore, AMF have a positive impact on ecosystems. They improve the quality of soil aggregation, drive the structure of plant and bacteria communities, and enhance ecosystem stability. Thus, a plant colonized by AMF will use more of these adaptation mechanisms compared to a plant without mycorrhizae. In this review, we present the contribution of AMF on plant growth and performance in stressed environments.

Salinity is one of the main abiotic stresses limiting plant growth and development. However, the use of salt-tolerant plants combined with beneficial soil microorganisms could improve the effectiveness of biological methods for saline soil recovery. The aim of this study is to identify theCasuarina obesa/ Arbuscular Mycorrhizal fungi (AMF)/Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPR) association that could be used in salt-land rehabilitation programs. Thus, the plants were grown under greenhouse on sandy soil, inoculated either with PGPR (Pantoea agglomeransandBacillussp.), or with AMF (Rhizophagus fasciculatusandRhizophagus aggregatum) or co inoculated with PGPR and AMF and watered with a saline solution (0, 150, and 300 mM). After 4 months of cultivation, the plants were harvested and the results obtained showed that inoculation improves the survival rate, height and biomass of the plants compared to the control plants. The results also showed that inoculation increases the total amount of chlorophyll and the accumulation of plant proline at all levels of salt concentration. However,P. agglomeransandBacillussp. strains alone or in combination withR. fasciculatusincreased plant growth. This study showed that these strains of PGPR, whether or not associated with AMF, could be biological tools to improveC. obesaperformance under saline stress conditions.

Degraded lands are defined by soils that have lost primary productivity due to abiotic or biotic stresses. Among the abiotic stresses, drought, salinity, and heavy metals are the main threats in tropical areas. These stresses affect plant growth and reduce their productivity. Nitrogen-fixing plants such as actinorhizal species that are able to grow in poor and disturbed soils are widely planted for the reclamation of such degraded lands. It has been reported that association of soil microbes especially the nitrogen-fixing bacteriaFrankiawith these actinorhizal plants can mitigate the adverse effects of abiotic and biotic stresses. Inoculation of actinorhizal plants withFrankiasignificantly improves plant growth, biomass, shoot and root N content, and survival rate after transplanting in fields. However, the success of establishment of actinorhizal plantation in degraded sites depends upon the choice of effective strains ofFrankia. Studies related to the beneficial role ofFrankiaon the establishment of actinorhizal plants in degraded soils are scarce. In this review, we describe some examples of the use ofFrankiainoculation to improve actinorhizal plant performances in harsh conditions for reclamation of degraded lands.

Land salinization is a major constraint for the practice of agriculture in the world. Considering the extent of this phenomenon, the rehabilitation of ecosystems degraded by salinization has become a priority to guarantee food security in semi-arid environments. The mechanical and chemical approaches for rehabilitating salt-affected soils being expensive, an alternative approach is to develop and utilize biological systems utilizing salt-tolerant plant species. Casuarina species are naturally halotolerant, but this tolerance has been shown to be improved when they are inoculated with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and/or nitrogen-fixing bacteria (Frankia). Furthermore, Casuarina plantations have been proposed to promote the development of plant diversity. Thus, the aim of the current study was to evaluate the impact of a plantation comprising the species Casuarina inoculated with AMF and Frankia on the diversity of the sub-canopy and adjacent vegetation. Work was conducted on a plantation comprising Casurina equisetifolia and C. glauca variously inoculated with Frankia and Rhizophagus fasciculatus prior to field planting. The experimental area of 2500 m² was divided into randomized blocks and vegetation sampling was conducted below and outside of the Casuarina canopy in 32 m² plots. A total of 48 samples were taken annually over 3 years, with 24 taken from below the Casuarina canopy and 24 from outside the canopy. The results obtained show that co-inoculation with Frankia and Rhizophagus fasciculatus improves the height and survival rate of both species. After 4–5 years, there was greater species diversity and plant biomass in the sub-canopy environment compared with that of the adjacent environments. Our results suggest that inoculation of beneficial microbes can improve growth of Casuarina species and that planting of such species can improve the diversity of herbaceous vegetation in saline environments.

Exotic trees are often planted to recover degraded lands. Inoculation with mycorrhizal fungi can improve their survival. Plant growth is partly dependent on the strain used, but little attention has been paid to the selection of mycorrhizal fungi. The aim of this study was to determine whether the growth of Casuarina equisetifolia L. (Johnson) is affected by two different mycorrhizal inocula generated using fungal spores retrieved from an Australian site (allochthonous soil) and a Senegalese site (native soil) under C. equisetifolia trees. Comparative experiments were conducted with plants in a Senegalese soil, previously sterilized or not, and grown in a greenhouse. At harvest, parameters related to plant growth and mycorrhization were evaluated and soil bacterial communities were compared. Tree growth was significantly influenced by both types of inoculants. In unsterilized soil, plants inoculated with the native inoculant were taller than plants inoculated with the allochthonous inoculant and control plants. The frequency of mycorrhization with both inoculants was higher in unsterilized soil. The strongest effects of the mycorhizosphere on the soil microbiome were obtained with the allochthonous inoculum, and analysis of the taxonomic composition revealed mycorrhizal communities specific to each inoculum. These results suggest that the development of C. equisetifolia and its root bacterial community are dependent on the composition of the mycorrhizal inoculum. The functional consequences of this rhizosphere effect in terms of soil fertility should be further studied to better guide reforestation operations.