Native AMF Communities in an Italian Vineyard at Two Different Phenological Stages of .

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are beneficial soil microorganisms that can establish symbiotic associations with roots, resulting in positive effects on grapevine performance, both in terms of water use efficiency, nutrient uptake, and replant success. Grapevine is an important perennial crop cultivated worldwide, especially in Mediterranean countries. In Italy, Piedmont is one of the regions with the longest winemaking tradition. In the present study, we characterized the AMF communities of the soil associated or not with the roots of cv. Pinot Noir cultivated in a vineyard subjected to conventional management using 454 Roche sequencing technology. Samplings were performed at two plant phenological stages (flowering and early fruit development). The AMF community was dominated by members of the family Glomeraceae, with a prevalence of the genus and the species and . On the contrary, the genus was the only one belonging to the family Archaeosporaceae. Since different AMF communities occur in the two considered soils, independently from the plant phenological stage, a probable role of in determining the AMF populations associated to its roots has been highlighted.