This is the first book describing in vitro cultivation of root organs. The text describes various biological aspects such as the physiology, biochemistry, biodiversity, and life cycles of fungi, as well as the effects of symbiosis on plant growth and development, including large-scale fungus production for biotechnological use. Detailed protocols allow the immediate application of the method to culture mycorrhizal fungi in vitro.

This is the first book describing in vitro cultivation of root organs. The text describes various biological aspects such as the physiology, biochemistry, biodiversity, and life cycles of fungi, as well as the effects of symbiosis on plant growth and development, including large-scale fungus production for biotechnological use. Detailed protocols allow the immediate application of the method to culture mycorrhizal fungi in vitro.

The?rst 30 cm of the earth's surface represents a fragile and valuable ecos- tem, thanks to which terrestrial plants, and indirectly animals and humans, can live. The microbial activity occurring in soil is largely responsible for its physical and nutritional quality. Among the micro-organisms living in soil, the arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi play a major role. They are present in all types of soil, everywhere on the planet, living in symbiotic association with the roots of most plant species. They have co-evolved with plants for 400 million years, improving their nutrition and resistance to v- ious types of stress. Present practices in conventional agriculture, which introduce great amounts of chemicals, have eliminated or underexploited the AM symbiosis. The rational exploitation of AM fungi in sustainable agriculture, to help minimize the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, has been hampered by several biological characteristics of these mic- organisms: they cannot be grown in the absence of a plant host and their genetic structure is very complex. Despite these limitations, biologists have made important progress in understanding better the functioning of AM fungi. An in vitro technique has been developed using mycorrhizal root organ cultures, which made it possible to investigate the genetics, cell biology and physiology of AM fungi. We can now be objective enough to critically evaluate the impacts the in vitro technique has had to improve our knowledge on mycorrhizal symbiosis.

The second edition of Mycorrhiza falls into a time period of excep tionally rapid growth in mycorrhizal research. Therefore the edi tors have been most pleased with the decision of the Springer Verlag to revise the first edition and to incorporate the remarkable advances experienced in the mycorrhizal field. The pace of discovery has been particularly fast at the two poles of biological complexity, the molecular events leading to changes in growth and differentiation, as well as the factors regulating the structure and diversity of natural populations and communities. Therefore the most significant changes introduced in the new edition of this book are found within these topics. Not only were many chapters up dated, but also new chapters have replaced existing ones. The individual decisions have not been easy, since valuable contribu tions had to be sacrificed in favour of new aspects; but the authors hope that a highly topical new edition will be of greatest benefit for a rapidly expanding field of research. We welcome comments and critics from readers. Since it was possible again to find leading scientists as contribu tors, we are confident that this revised second edition will stimulate further progress and contribute to a deeper understanding of advances in the mycorrhizal field. We are grateful to the Springer Verlag, especially Dr. Dieter Czeschlik, for his continued interest and active help. Dr. Maja Hilber-Bodmer and Dr.

This book compiles the most comprehensive collection of protocols currently used in arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungal research. This experience-based collection includes methods for isolation, cultivation, detection, and quantification of AM fungi, as well as the use of metagenomics for community studies and experimental procedures for functional genomics. Written for the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and cutting-edge, Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi: Methods and Protocols serves as an ideal aid for researchers seeking to perform experiments that fill the gaps in our knowledge of the basic biology, functions, and ecology of AM fungi in the hope of deploying these powerful plant fungal symbionts in agriculture more effectively.

This book focuses on an overview of new advances in mycorrhizal fungi, especially arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. The book contains chapters on mycorrhizal fungi populations in mangroves, the growth of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, mycorrhizalization of pears in in vitro culture conditions, mycorrhizal mineralization of nutrients, mycorrhizal roles in improving soil health, the benefits of synergistic application of biochar and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, and the ecological functions of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (invasive plant control, mycorrhizal remediation of soil pollution, and mycorrhizal farm management systems). This book can provide theoretical as well as technical support for researchers working on mycorrhizal fungi, and also provide ideas for new research on mycorrhizal fungi in the future