Arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis in rice: Establishment, environmental control and impact on plant growth and resistance to abiotic stresses

Abstract

Rice is one of the most consumed crop around the globe and its production needs to be increased in a context of climate change and water scarcity. Rice roots, as most land plants, can establish symbiotic association with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). Rice has emerged, in the past decade, as a model to study the molecular determinants of AM symbiosis establishment and functioning, providing insight into potential breeding target to improve the capacity of this crop to interact with AMF. Furthermore, evidences showing the beneficial effects of AMF on rice performance in field conditions and resistance to abiotic stresses in controlled conditions are increasing. In this review, we describe recent discoveries about rice root AMF interactions and collect evidences supporting the idea that AM symbiosis can be used to develop agronomic practices for sustainable rice production and rice resistance to abiotic stresses.