HortScience (Jul 2023)
Influence of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi on the Growth and Development of Micropropagated Rubus fruticosus ‘P45’ Plants during Acclimatization
Abstract
Blackberry (Rubus sp., family: Rosaceae) is an important fruit-yielding plant cultivated worldwide. Blackberry fruits are rich in nutrients and bioactive substances, such as anthocyanins and other phenolic compounds (Kaume et al. 2011). The flavonols and ellagitannins contained in them are major compounds with antioxidant, antiobesity, antidiabetic, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory effects (Zia-Ul-Haq et al. 2014). Blackberry is one of the most popular blackberry species, and it is cultivated in various regions of the world. It is conventionally propagated by softwood cutting, suckers, and layering (Dziedzic and Jagla 2012). However, micropropagation techniques are adopted to achieve rapid and efficient propagation. The in vitro propagation of blackberry depends on several factors, including the physiological conditions of explants, the composition of the culture medium, and the plant growth regulators added to the medium (AbdAlla and Mostafa 2015; Hunkova et al. 2016; Hunkova et al. 2018). Critical steps in blackberry micropropagation are the acclimatization of plants on ex vitro transplantation and plant growth (Dewir et al. 2022). The mycorrhization of in vitro-propagated plants using arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) is beneficial for micropropagated plants, especially during acclimatization. AMF provide several benefits to the host plants by transferring nutrients efficiently from the soil to facilitate plant photosynthesis, growth, and development (Smith and Read 2008; Smith and Smith 2011a, 2011b). Additionally, AMF protect host plants from parasites, pathogenic fungi, and nematodes by stimulating them to produce defensive compounds and increasing the area of exploration of the roots, thus increasing the flow of water from the soil to the plant, as well as by enhancing the physical and chemical properties of the soil through the addition of organic matter and formation of aggregates through the adhesion of soil particles (Smith and Smith 2011a, 2011b). AMF have been successfully used to improve the acclimatization and growth of micropropagated fruit-bearing species such as walnut (Mortier et al. 2020), strawberry (Taylor and Harrier 2001), pomegranate (Singh et al. 2012), prunus (Monticelli et al. 2000), apple (Cavallazzi et al. 2007), and red dragon fruit (Dewir et al. 2023a). The natural symbiotic relationship with AMF has been documented for Rubus alpinus Macfad, R. floribundus Kunth, R. bogtensis Kunth, and R. utricifolius Poir (Rincon et al. 2022). Additionally, Taylor and Harrier (2000) reported the beneficial effects of various AMF on the development and nutrition of micropropagated red raspberry plants (Rubus idaeus L. ‘Glen Prosen’). However, these types of studies have not been conducted for R. fruticosus. Therefore, the aim of the present investigation was to evaluate the effects of AMF on the vegetative growth, root growth, and development of micropropagated blackberry (R. fruticosus ‘P45’) plants during acclimatization.
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