Rodriguez Alia, Sanders Ian R
Soil Microbiology, Faculty of Science, National University of Colombia, Ciudad Universitaria, Bogotá, Colombia.
Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
ISME J. 2015 May;9(5):1053-61. doi: 10.1038/ismej.2014.207. Epub 2014 Oct 31.
The global human population is expected to reach ∼9 billion by 2050. Feeding this many people represents a major challenge requiring global crop yield increases of up to 100%. Microbial symbionts of plants such as arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) represent a huge, but unrealized resource for improving yields of globally important crops, especially in the tropics. We argue that the application of AMF in agriculture is too simplistic and ignores basic ecological principals. To achieve this challenge, a community and population ecology approach can contribute greatly. First, ecologists could significantly improve our understanding of the determinants of the survival of introduced AMF, the role of adaptability and intraspecific diversity of AMF and whether inoculation has a direct or indirect effect on plant production. Second, we call for extensive metagenomics as well as population genomics studies that are crucial to assess the environmental impact that introduction of non-local AMF may have on native AMF communities and populations. Finally, we plead for an ecologically sound use of AMF in efforts to increase food security at a global scale in a sustainable manner.
预计到2050年，全球人口将达到约90亿。养活这么多人口是一项重大挑战，需要全球农作物产量提高多达100%。植物的微生物共生体，如丛枝菌根真菌（AMF），是提高全球重要作物产量的巨大但尚未开发的资源，尤其是在热带地区。我们认为，在农业中应用AMF过于简单化，忽视了基本的生态学原理。为应对这一挑战，群落和种群生态学方法可做出巨大贡献。首先，生态学家可以显著增进我们对引入的AMF生存决定因素、AMF适应性和种内多样性的作用，以及接种对植物生产是直接还是间接影响的理解。其次，我们呼吁开展广泛的宏基因组学以及种群基因组学研究，这些研究对于评估引入非本地AMF可能对本地AMF群落和种群产生的环境影响至关重要。最后，我们恳请以生态合理的方式使用AMF，以可持续的方式在全球范围内提高粮食安全。
