Mycorrhizal fungus Rhizophagus irregularis protects olive trees from Verticillium wilt and promotes growth

Mycorrhizal fungus Rhizophagus irregularis protects olive trees from Verticillium wilt and promotes growth | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Mycorrhizal fungus Rhizophagus irregularis protects olive trees from Verticillium wilt and promotes growth HANANE BOUTAJ, Meddich Abdelilah, Wahbi Said, El Alaoui-Talibi Zainab, and 3 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-4442110/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Published Journal Publication published 28 Jan, 2025 Read the published version in European Journal of Plant Pathology → Version 1 posted 6 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus (AMF) Rhizophagus irregularis and its interaction with Verticillium dahliae were investigated in the susceptible olive "Picholine Marocaine" cultivar under controlled conditions. Olive plants were first inoculated with R. irregularis for three months, and then infected with V. dahliae . The present study assessed the impact of this combined inoculation on root colonization, plant growth parameters, nutrient uptake, and disease tolerance. Results showed that R. irregularis significantly increased mycorrhizal colonization in terms of vesicles and arbuscules compared to non-mycorrhizal controls, even in the presence of V. dahliae . This enhanced colonization was associated with improved plant growth, including increased shoot and root length, number of leaves and branches, and total dry biomass. Furthermore, R. irregularis significantly reduced disease severity as measured by dwarfing and leaf alteration indices. Mycorrhizal inoculation also led to a substantial increase in nutrient uptake, particularly potassium, calcium, and available phosphorus, in both shoots and roots of olive plants. Interestingly, sodium uptake was higher in plants solely colonized by R. irregularis , suggesting potential influence on specific nutrient dynamics. In general, this study demonstrates that R. irregularis can effectively promote root colonization, enhance plant growth and nutrient uptake, and significantly improve disease tolerance against Verticillium wilt in susceptible olive cultivars. Olive trees Mycorrhizal fungi Verticillium wilt Protection Plant growth Full Text Cite Share Download PDF Status: Published Journal Publication published 28 Jan, 2025 Read the published version in European Journal of Plant Pathology → Version 1 posted Editorial decision: Major revisions 09 Dec, 2024 Reviewers agreed at journal 29 May, 2024 Reviewers invited by journal 28 May, 2024 Editor invited by journal 23 May, 2024 Editor assigned by journal 21 May, 2024 First submitted to journal 18 May, 2024 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-4442110","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":307898534,"identity":"6f68c123-0ce5-46f1-812f-0dcdf6025136","order_by":0,"name":"HANANE 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Olive plants were first inoculated with \u003cem\u003eR. irregularis\u003c/em\u003e for three months, and then infected with \u003cem\u003eV. dahliae\u003c/em\u003e. The present study assessed the impact of this combined inoculation on root colonization, plant growth parameters, nutrient uptake, and disease tolerance. Results showed that \u003cem\u003eR. irregularis\u003c/em\u003e significantly increased mycorrhizal colonization in terms of vesicles and arbuscules compared to non-mycorrhizal controls, even in the presence of \u003cem\u003eV. dahliae\u003c/em\u003e. This enhanced colonization was associated with improved plant growth, including increased shoot and root length, number of leaves and branches, and total dry biomass. Furthermore, \u003cem\u003eR. irregularis\u003c/em\u003e significantly reduced disease severity as measured by dwarfing and leaf alteration indices. 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