DOI: 10.1002/ppp3.70257 ISSN: 2572-2611

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi enhance plant performance in trace element‐contaminated soils with element‐specific accumulation patterns

Zahraddeen Kabir Sani, Jean Legeay, Mohamed Hijri
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Summary

Societal Impact Statement

Soil contamination by toxic trace elements is a growing global challenge that threatens food safety, agricultural productivity, and ecosystem health. We combined results from many experiments worldwide to assess whether beneficial soil fungi can help plants cope with contaminated soils. Our meta‐analysis shows that arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) consistently improve plant growth and nutrition while reducing the translocation of potentially toxic elements, particularly cadmium, into aboveground plant tissues. These findings highlight the potential of AMF‐assisted phytoremediation to support safer crop production and soil restoration, contributing to sustainable ecosystems and human well‐being, although its effectiveness depends on environmental and biological factors.

Summary

Soil contamination by elevated trace elements (TEs) increasingly threatens global food security. Although arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are widely recognized for mitigating TE toxicity, their effectiveness in soils characterized by the co‐occurrence of geogenic and anthropogenic TE sources remains insufficiently resolved. By integrating global experimental datasets, this meta‐analysis identifies broad patterns of AMF‐mediated stress alleviation that are often difficult to discern in individual studies. We synthesized data from 76 studies and 2206 paired observations to evaluate AMF‐mediated stress alleviation, plant performance, and TE dynamics across diverse soils contaminated with arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), lead (Pb), and zinc (Zn). Across studies, AMF significantly enhanced root and shoot growth, with Funneliformis mosseae and Rhizophagus irregularis frequently producing the strongest responses. Phosphorus concentrations also increased significantly in both roots and shoots. AMF effects on TE accumulation, however, varied among elements. The clearest response was observed for Cd, with shoot concentrations declining significantly following AMF inoculations. However, the underlying mechanism cannot be resolved from the available data. In contrast, responses to As, Pb, Cu, and Zn were generally weak or non‐significant, highlighting the element‐specific effects of AMF on TE accumulation in contaminated soils.

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