Roots and rhizomes of Salvia miltiorrhiza (S. miltiorrhiza) are widely used for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMFs) have been shown to enhance plant growth and increase secondary metabolites concentration in many plant species. However, effects of AMFs on S. miltiorrhiza have not been explored. A pot culture was designed as one control (non-AMF) treatment and four AMFs (G.m, Glomus mosseae; G.a, Glomus aggregatum; G.v, Glomus versiforme; G.i, Glomus intraradices) treatments were performed in order to evaluate the effects of AMFs on plant growth, as well as phyto-active compounds’ concentration of S. miltiorrhiza seedlings. Plants were harvested after 90 days: agronomic traits and concentration; and an accumulation of mineral elements, as well as phyto-active compounds were detected. All AMFs inoculated plants formed mycorrhizal structures, and an infection ratio; also, the intensity of inoculated roots was higher than 84.61% and 23.86%, respectively. Mycorrhizal dependency was above 144.62%. Seedlings with AMFs inoculation had significantly higher plant height, leather leaf length, top leaflet size, base leaflet length, taproot length, taproot diameter and biomass than those with non-AMF inoculation. In addition, inoculation with AMFs increased N, P, and K accumulation significantly, but barely had any effect on mineral elements’ concentrations. AMFs inoculation also significantly improved tanshinones concentrations and stimulation in order to accumulate salvianolic acid B. G.v and G.i were effective for seedlings growth; G.m and G.i were also effective for phyto-active compounds. In total, S. miltiorrhiza inoculation with AMFs had positive effects on growth and active components, especially inoculation with G.v.

Wood vinegar, a by-product of charcoal biomass pyrolysis, has been used as a biofungicide in plant disease management because of its antimicrobial properties. However, the physiological and biochemical mechanisms through which wood vinegar alleviates biotic stress are poorly understood. In this study, pot experiments were conducted to investigate the resistance and regulation mechanism of wood vinegar prepared from different raw materials (ZM) and from a single raw material (SM) in controlling tomato (Solanum lycopersicum “Bonny Best”) Fusarium wilt at different concentrations (0.3%, 0.6%, 0.9%, 1.2%, and 1.5%). The results showed that ZM and SM had significant control effects on tomato fusarium wilt under different concentrations in the same growth cycle. Under biotic stress, the two kinds of wood vinegar significantly increased the plant height, stem diameter, leaf area and yield of tomato under the concentration of 0.3%, 0.6%, 0.9% and 1.2%, and significantly reduced the content of malondialdehyde (MDA) and hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) in tomato leaves. The effect of 0.9% treatment was the most significant, ZM and SM significantly increased tomato yield by 122% and 74%, respectively, compared with CK under 0.9% treatment. However, the plant height, stem diameter and leaf area of tomato were significantly reduced under 1.5% treatment, but the content of soluble sugar, soluble protein and vitamin C in tomato fruit was the best. Compared with CK, ZM significantly increased by 14%, 193% and 67%, respectively, and SM significantly increased by 28%, 300% and 159%, respectively. Except for 0.3% treatment, both significantly increased the activities of catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POD) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) in tomato leaves. The response intensity of two kinds of wood vinegar—physiological and biochemical—to tomato disease resistance, growth and development, showed ZM > SM. The disease index of tomato showed highly significant negative correlation with plant height, stem thickness, leaf area and antioxidant physiology CAT, and highly significant positive correlation with MDA and H₂O₂ content. In conclusion, ZM was more effective than SM in enhancing tomato disease resistance by promoting tomato growth and development, decreasing leaf MDA and H₂O₂ content, and inducing antioxidant enzyme activity in leaves at moderate concentrations.

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) play key roles in enhancing plant tolerance to heavy metals, and iron (Fe) compounds can reduce the bioavailability of arsenic (As) in soil, thereby alleviating As toxicity. However, there have been limited studies of the synergistic antioxidant mechanisms of AMF (Funneliformis mosseae) and Fe compounds in the alleviation of As toxicity on leaves of maize (Zea mays L.) with low and moderate As contamination. In this study, a pot experiment was conducted with different concentrations of As (0, 25, 50 mgꞏkg⁻¹) and Fe (0, 50 mgꞏkg⁻¹) and AMF treatments. Results showed that under low and moderate As concentrations (As25 and As50), the co-inoculation of AMF and Fe compound significantly increased the biomass of maize stems and roots, phosphorus (P) concentration, and P-to-As uptake ratio. Moreover, the co-inoculation of AMF and Fe compound addition significantly reduced the As concentration in stem and root, malondialdehyde (MDA) content in leaf, and soluble protein and non-protein thiol (NPT) contents in leaf of maize under As25 and As50 treatments. In addition, co-inoculation with AMF and Fe compound addition significantly increased the activities of catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POD), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) in the leaves of maize under As25 treatment. Correlation analysis showed that stem biomass and leaf MDA content were very significantly negatively correlated with stem As content, respectively. In conclusion, the results indicated that the co-inoculation of AMF and Fe compound addition can inhibit As uptake and promote P uptake by maize under low and moderate As contamination, thereby mitigating the lipid peroxidation on maize leaves and reducing As toxicity by enhancing the activities of antioxidant enzymes under low As contamination. These findings provide a theoretical basis for the application of AMF and Fe compounds in the restoration of cropland soil contaminated with low and moderate As.