Description:
Functional Diversity of Mycorrhiza and Sustainable Agriculture is the first book to present the core concepts of working with Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi to improve agricultural crop productivity.
Highlighting the use of indigenous AM fungi for agriculture, the book includes details on how to maintain and promote AM fungal diversity to improve sustainability and cost-effectiveness. As the need to improve production while restricting scarce inputs and preventing environmental impacts increases, the use of AMF offers an important option for exploiting the soil microbial population. It can enhance nutrient cycling and minimize the impacts of biotic and abiotic stresses, such as soil-borne disease, drought, and metal toxicity.
The book offers land managers, policymakers, soil scientists, and agronomists a novel approach to utilizing soil microbiology in improving agricultural practices.
Brief description: Dr. Isabel Brito's research field is the management of native arbuscular mycorrhizas in low input cropping systems, particularly in Mediterranean regions. Key areas of study are the effects of common agronomic practices (weed control, tillage system and crop rotation) on AMF diversity and AM colonization of small grain crops. More recently she has focused on developing strategies to manage indigenous AMF within cropping systems for the bio-protection of cultivated plants.