Different olive varieties host different underground fungal partners
Cemin AJ, Graeff-Filho VL, Nolibos JPS, Miola ECC, Mello-Farias P
Mycorrhizal Networks
If you grow olives, tomatoes, or nearly any garden plant, a hidden network of root fungi is quietly helping it pull nutrients from the soil, and which fungi show up can depend on the exact variety you planted.
Most plants team up with tiny soil fungi that wrap around or enter their roots and help them absorb water and nutrients in exchange for sugars. Researchers dug up soil around three olive tree varieties in southern Brazil and found six kinds of these helper fungi living there, with one species dominating everywhere but the overall mix changing depending on which olive variety was planted. This is the first time anyone has cataloged these fungi for olives in that region, and it gives growers a starting list of local fungi that might one day be turned into soil boosters for olive orchards.
Key Findings
Six arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal species from five genera were identified: Acaulospora koskei, Glomus ambisporum, Diversispora globifera, Gigaspora decipiens, Gigaspora rosea, and Scutellospora calospora
Glomus ambisporum dominated across all three olive cultivars (Arbequina, Coratina, Picual), and cultivar identity explained 56.2% of the variation in fungal community composition
SIMPER analysis showed G. ambisporum and G. decipiens together accounted for 59.7% of the compositional difference between the Arbequina and Coratina cultivars
chevron_right Technical Summary
Scientists surveyed the underground fungal partners of olive trees in Brazil for the first time, finding six species of beneficial mycorrhizal fungi whose mix shifts depending on which olive variety is planted. This helps identify which native fungi could be developed into inoculants to boost olive growth.
Abstract Preview
Original paper
Spore-based arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal community in an olive cultivation area in southern Brazil.
Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), belonging to the phylum Glomeromycota, establish symbiotic associations with approximately 90% of terrestrial plant species and play a key role in nutrient acqui...
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The olive is a species of subtropical evergreen tree in the family Oleaceae. Originating in Asia Minor, it is abundant throughout the Mediterranean Basin, with wild subspecies in Africa and western Asia; modern cultivars are traced primarily to the Near East, Aegean Sea, and Strait of Gibraltar. ...