In Vitro Mycorrhization for Plant Propagation and Enhanced Resilience to Environmental Stress: A Review

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) play a key role in enhancing plant stress tolerance, nutrient uptake, and overall health, making them essential for sustainable agriculture. Their multifaceted contributions to the rhizosphere—through biofertilization, bioprotection, and biostimulation—have led to...

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Main Authors: Hassna Radi, Meriyem Koufan, Ilham Belkoura, Tayeb Koussa, Mouaad Amine Mazri
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-07-01
Series:Plants
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/14/14/2097
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author Hassna Radi
Meriyem Koufan
Ilham Belkoura
Tayeb Koussa
Mouaad Amine Mazri
author_facet Hassna Radi
Meriyem Koufan
Ilham Belkoura
Tayeb Koussa
Mouaad Amine Mazri
author_sort Hassna Radi
collection DOAJ
description Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) play a key role in enhancing plant stress tolerance, nutrient uptake, and overall health, making them essential for sustainable agriculture. Their multifaceted contributions to the rhizosphere—through biofertilization, bioprotection, and biostimulation—have led to growing interest in their application. In recent years, in vitro mycorrhization has emerged as a promising approach for the rapid propagation of economically and ecologically important plant species, offering improved agronomic and physiological traits as well as increased resilience to environmental stressors. However, challenges remain in achieving consistent AMF-plant symbiosis under in vitro conditions across diverse species. This review highlights the potential of in vitro mycorrhization as a controlled system for investigating AMF interactions and their impact on plant development. Various in vitro mycorrhization systems are described and discussed, along with their applications in the mass production of AMF propagules and mycorrhizal plants, and their role in enhancing the acclimatization of micropropagated plantlets to ex vitro conditions. The role of in vitro mycorrhization as an effective tissue culture approach that integrates plant propagation with enhanced resilience to environmental stress is emphasized. The factors influencing the success of in vitro mycorrhization and strategies for the large-scale production of AMF propagules and mycorrhizal plants are explored. Although research in this area is still limited, existing studies underscore the potential of in vitro mycorrhization to enhance plant tolerance to abiotic and biotic stresses—an increasingly urgent goal in the context of climate change and global food security.
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spelling doaj-art-e8c0ba8a1fc24be99838413fc37d842e2025-08-20T03:08:10ZengMDPI AGPlants2223-77472025-07-011414209710.3390/plants14142097In Vitro Mycorrhization for Plant Propagation and Enhanced Resilience to Environmental Stress: A ReviewHassna Radi0Meriyem Koufan1Ilham Belkoura2Tayeb Koussa3Mouaad Amine Mazri4Agro-Biotechnology Research Unit, Regional Center of Agricultural Research of Marrakech, National Institute of Agricultural Research, Avenue Ennasr, BP 415 Rabat Principale, Rabat 10090, MoroccoNatural Resources and Local Products Research Unit, Regional Center of Agricultural Research of Agadir, National Institute of Agricultural Research, Avenue Ennasr, BP 415 Rabat Principale, Rabat 10090, MoroccoIn Vitro Culture Laboratory, Department of Basic Sciences, National School of Agriculture, BP S/40, Meknes 50001, MoroccoLaboratory of Plant Biotechnology, Ecology and Ecosystem Valorisation, CNRST-URL10, Faculty of Sciences, University Chouaïb Doukkali, El Jadida 24000, MoroccoAgro-Biotechnology Research Unit, Regional Center of Agricultural Research of Marrakech, National Institute of Agricultural Research, Avenue Ennasr, BP 415 Rabat Principale, Rabat 10090, MoroccoArbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) play a key role in enhancing plant stress tolerance, nutrient uptake, and overall health, making them essential for sustainable agriculture. Their multifaceted contributions to the rhizosphere—through biofertilization, bioprotection, and biostimulation—have led to growing interest in their application. In recent years, in vitro mycorrhization has emerged as a promising approach for the rapid propagation of economically and ecologically important plant species, offering improved agronomic and physiological traits as well as increased resilience to environmental stressors. However, challenges remain in achieving consistent AMF-plant symbiosis under in vitro conditions across diverse species. This review highlights the potential of in vitro mycorrhization as a controlled system for investigating AMF interactions and their impact on plant development. Various in vitro mycorrhization systems are described and discussed, along with their applications in the mass production of AMF propagules and mycorrhizal plants, and their role in enhancing the acclimatization of micropropagated plantlets to ex vitro conditions. The role of in vitro mycorrhization as an effective tissue culture approach that integrates plant propagation with enhanced resilience to environmental stress is emphasized. The factors influencing the success of in vitro mycorrhization and strategies for the large-scale production of AMF propagules and mycorrhizal plants are explored. Although research in this area is still limited, existing studies underscore the potential of in vitro mycorrhization to enhance plant tolerance to abiotic and biotic stresses—an increasingly urgent goal in the context of climate change and global food security.https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/14/14/2097abiotic stressbiotic stressmicropropagationin vitro mycorrhization
spellingShingle Hassna Radi
Meriyem Koufan
Ilham Belkoura
Tayeb Koussa
Mouaad Amine Mazri
In Vitro Mycorrhization for Plant Propagation and Enhanced Resilience to Environmental Stress: A Review
Plants
abiotic stress
biotic stress
micropropagation
in vitro mycorrhization
title In Vitro Mycorrhization for Plant Propagation and Enhanced Resilience to Environmental Stress: A Review
title_full In Vitro Mycorrhization for Plant Propagation and Enhanced Resilience to Environmental Stress: A Review
title_fullStr In Vitro Mycorrhization for Plant Propagation and Enhanced Resilience to Environmental Stress: A Review
title_full_unstemmed In Vitro Mycorrhization for Plant Propagation and Enhanced Resilience to Environmental Stress: A Review
title_short In Vitro Mycorrhization for Plant Propagation and Enhanced Resilience to Environmental Stress: A Review
title_sort in vitro mycorrhization for plant propagation and enhanced resilience to environmental stress a review
topic abiotic stress
biotic stress
micropropagation
in vitro mycorrhization
url https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/14/14/2097
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AT tayebkoussa invitromycorrhizationforplantpropagationandenhancedresiliencetoenvironmentalstressareview
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