Divergent colonization traits, convergent benefits: different species of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi alleviate Meloidogyne incognita damage in tomato.

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) can increase plant tolerance and/or resistance to pests such as the root-knot nematode Meloidogyne incognita. However, the ameliorative effects may depend on AMF species. The aim of this work was therefore to evaluate whether four AMF species differentially affect plant performance in response to M. incognita infection. Tomato plants grown in greenhouse conditions were inoculated with four different AMF isolates (Claroideoglomus claroideum, Funneliformis mosseae, Gigaspora margarita, and Rhizophagus intraradices) and infected with 100 second stage juveniles of M. incognita at two different times: simultaneously or 2 weeks after the inoculation with AMF. After 60 days, the number of galls, egg masses, and reproduction factor of the nematodes were assessed along with plant biomass, phosphorus (P), and nitrogen concentrations in roots and shoots and root colonization by AMF. Only the simultaneous nematode inoculation without AMF caused a large reduction in plant shoot biomass, while all AMF species were able to ameliorate this effect and improve plant P uptake. The AMF isolates responded differently to the interaction with nematodes, either increasing the frequency of vesicles (C. claroideum) or reducing the number of arbuscules (F. mosseae and Gi. margarita). AMF inoculation did not decrease galls; however, it reduced the number of egg masses per gall in nematode simultaneous inoculation, except for C. claroideum. This work shows the importance of biotic stress alleviation associated with an improvement in P uptake and mediated by four different AMF species, irrespective of their fungal root colonization levels and specific interactions with the parasite.