Reduction of Sudden Death Syndrome Foliar Symptoms and DNA in Roots Inoculated With .

There is increasing interest in incorporating arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) into agricultural production because of the benefits they provide, including protection against pathogens and pests. Sudden death syndrome (SDS) of soybean is a devastating disease caused by the soilborne pathogen Multiple management methods are needed to control SDS. The relationship between and AMF is not well documented. The goal of this study was to determine whether soybean plants co-inoculated with and the AMF species showed reduced SDS foliar symptom severity and reduced relative DNA quantities in soybean roots. Six soybean genotypes were inoculated with alone or with in a greenhouse experiment. Averaged over the six soybean genotypes, area under the disease progress curve values and relative DNA quantities were 45 and 28% lower ( < 0.05), respectively, in roots co-inoculated with compared with roots of control plants inoculated with only. Weight of roots co-inoculated with were 58% higher ( < 0.05) compared with roots of plants not inoculated with . Nutrient analysis showed higher boron, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, and sulfur concentrations in root tissues of plants co-inoculated with compared with plants inoculated with ( < 0.05). Overall, this study showed that reduced SDS severity and relative DNA quantities while simultaneously increasing growth and nutrient uptake of plants. Further testing of AMF inoculants in the field will indicate whether incorporating them into soybean SDS management practices will reduce the impact of SDS on soybean production.