The intercropping partner affects arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici interactions in tomato

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and their bioprotective aspects are of great interest in the context of sustainable agriculture. Combining the benefits of AMF with the utilisation of plant species diversity shows great promise for the management of plant diseases in environmentally compatible agriculture. In the present study, AMF were tested against Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici with tomato intercropped with either leek, cucumber, basil, fennel or tomato itself. Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) root colonisation of tomato was clearly affected by its intercropping partners. Tomato intercropped with leek showed even a 20 % higher AM colonisation rate than tomato intercropped with tomato. Positive effects of AMF expressed as an increase of tomato biomass compared to the untreated control treatment could be observed in root as well as in shoot weights. A compensation of negative effects of F. oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici on tomato biomass by AMF was observed in the tomato/leek combination. The intercropping partners leek, cucumber, basil and tomato had no effect on F. oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici disease incidence or disease severity indicating no allelopathic suppression; however, tomato co-cultivated with tomato clearly showed a negative effect on one plant/pot with regard to biomass and disease severity of F. oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici. Nonetheless, bioprotective effects of AMF resulting in the decrease of F. oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici disease severity were evident in treatments with AMF and F. oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici co-inoculation. However, these bioprotective effects depended on the intercropping partner since these effects were only observed in the tomato/leek and tomato/basil combination and for the better developed plant of tomato/tomato. In conclusion, the effects of the intercropping partner on AMF colonisation of tomato are of great interest for crop plant communities and for the influences on each other. The outcome of the bioprotective effects of AMF resulting in the decrease on F. oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici disease severity and/or compensation of plant biomass does not depend on the degree of AM colonisation but more on the intercropping partner.     

Alterations in Root Exudation of Intercropped Tomato Mediated by the Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungus Glomus mosseae and the Soilborne Pathogen Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. lycopersici

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) can control soilborne diseases such as Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. lycopersici (Fol). Root exudates play an important role in plant–microbe interactions in the rhizosphere, especially, in the initial phase of these interactions. In this work, we focus on (i) elucidating dynamics in root exudation of Solanum lycopersicum L. in an intercropping system due to AMF and/or Fol; (ii) its effect on Fol development in vitro; and (iii) the testing of the root exudate compounds identified in the chromatographic analyses in terms of effects on fungal growth in in vitro assays. GC‐MS analyses revealed an AMF‐dependent increase in sugars and decrease in organic acids, mainly glucose and malate. In the HPLC analyses, an increase in chlorogenic acid was evident in the combined treatment of AMF and Fol, which is to our knowledge the first report about an increase in chlorogenic acid in root exudates of AM plants challenged with Fol compared with plants inoculated with AMF only, clearly indicating changes in root exudation due to AMF and Fol. Root exudates of AMF tomato plants stimulate the germination rate of Fol, whereas the co‐inoculation of AMF and Fol leads to a reduction in spore germination. In the in vitro assays, citrate and chlorogenic acid could be identified as possible candidates for the reduction in Fol germination rate in the root exudates of the AMF+Fol treatment because they proved inhibition at concentrations naturally occurring in the rhizosphere.     

The Jasmonic Acid Signalling Pathway Restricts the Development of the Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Association in Tomato

The role of the jasmonate signalling pathway in modulating the establishment of the arbuscular mycorrhiza (AM) symbiosis between tomato plants and Glomus intraradices fungus was studied. The consequences of AM formation due to the blockage of the jasmonate signalling pathway were studied in experiments with plant mutants impaired in JA perception. The tomato jai-1 mutant (jasmonic acid insensitive 1) failed to regulate colonization and was more susceptible to fungal infection, showing accelerated colonization. The frequency and the intensity of fungal colonization were greatly increased in the jai-1 insensitive mutant plants. In parallel, the systemic effects on mycorrhization due to the activation of the jasmonate signalling pathway by foliar application of MeJA were evaluated and histochemical and molecular parameters of mycorrhizal intensity and efficiency were measured. Histochemical determination of fungal infectivity and fungal alkaline phosphatase activity reveal that the systemic application of MeJA was effective in reducing mycorrhization and mainly affected fungal phosphate metabolism and arbuscule formation, analyzed by the expression of GiALP and the AM-specific gene LePT4, respectively. The results of the present study clearly show that JA participates in the susceptibility of tomato to infection by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, and it seems that arbuscular colonization in tomato is tightly controlled by the jasmonate signalling pathway.     

Expression analysis of LeNHX1 gene in mycorrhizal tomato under salt stress

The plant growth, stem sap flow, Na⁺ and Cl^? content, and the expression of vacuolar Na⁺/H⁺ antiporter gene (LeNHX1) in the leaves and roots of tomato under different NaCl stresses (0.5% and 1%) were studied to analyze the effect of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) on Na⁺ and Cl^? accumulation and ion exchange. The results showed that arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) plant growth and stem sap flow increased and salt tolerance improved, whereas Na⁺ and Cl^? accumulated. Na⁺ significantly decreased, and no significant decline was detected in Cl^? content after AMF inoculation compared with the non-AM plants. The LeNHX1 gene expression was induced in the AM and non-AM plants by NaCl stress. However, AMF did not improve the LeNHX1 level, and low expression was observed in the AM tomato. Hence, the mechanism that reduced the Na⁺ damage to tomato induced by AMF has little relation to LeNHX1, which can export Na⁺ from the cytosol to the vacuole across the tonoplast.     

Role of gibberellins during arbuscular mycorrhizal formation in tomato: new insights revealed by endogenous quantification and genetic analysis of their metabolism in mycorrhizal roots

Gibberellins (GAs) are key regulators of plant growth and development and recent studies suggest also a role during arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) formation. Here, complementary approaches have been used to obtain a clearer picture that correlates AM fungal development inside roots with GA metabolism. An extensive analysis of genes associated with GA metabolism as well as a quantification of GA content in roots was made. Application of GA₃ and its biosynthesis inhibitor prohexadione calcium (PrCa) combined with a GA‐constitutive response mutant (procera) were used to determine whether fungal colonization is altered by the level of these hormones or by changes in the GA‐signaling pathway. The increased levels of specific GAs from the 13‐hydroxylation pathway in mycorrhizal roots correlate closely with the increased expression of genes coding enzymes from the GA biosynthetic trail. The imbalance of GAs in tomato roots caused by exogenous applications of GA₃ or PrCa affects arbuscules in both negative and positive ways, respectively. In addition, procera plants were adversely affected by the mycorrhization process. Our findings demonstrate that an imbalance in favor of an increased amount of GAs negatively affects the frequency of mycorrhization and particularly the arbuscular abundance in tomato mycorrhizal roots and the results point out that AM formation is associated with a change in the 13‐hydroxylation pathway of GAs.     

Polyploidy in tomato roots as affected by arbuscular mycorrhizal colonization

Nuclear changes in roots of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum), a plant with a small genome, during the establishment of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) colonization were studied using light and electron microscopy, as well as flow and static cytometry. Nuclei of mycorrhizal root cortex cells were larger and had more decondensed chromatin than those of controls. Significant ploidy distribution differences were observed between nuclei of AM colonized and control roots, and a strong correlation between nuclear polyploidization and AM colonization was found. Polyploidization and decondensation are usually associated with high metabolic activity. The metabolic activity of mycorrhizal root cells, evaluated in this work as respiratory activity by using a cytochemical assay for succinate dehydrogenase combined with image analysis, increased in comparison to controls. The meaning of polyploidization is discussed in relation to the structural and metabolic modifications induced by mycorrhization.     

Impact of two fluorescent pseudomonads and an arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus on tomato plant growth,root architecture and P acquisition

The ability of fluorescent pseudomonads and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) to promote plant growth is well documented but knowledge of the impact of pseudomonad-mycorrhiza mixed inocula on root architecture is scanty. In the present work, growth and root architecture of tomato plants (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. cv. Guadalete), inoculated or not with Pseudomonas fluorescens 92rk and P190r and/or the AMF Glomus mosseae BEG12, were evaluated by measuring shoot and root fresh weight and by analysing morphometric parameters of the root system. The influence of the microorganisms on phosphorus (P) acquisition was assayed as total P accumulated in leaves of plants inoculated or not with the three microorganisms. The two bacterial strains and the AMF, alone or in combination, promoted plant growth. P. fluorescens 92rk and G. mosseae BEG12 when co-inoculated had a synergistic effect on root fresh weight. Moreover, co-inoculation of the three microorganisms synergistically increased plant growth compared with singly inoculated plants. Both the fluorescent pseudomonads and the myco-symbiont, depending on the inoculum combination, strongly affected root architecture. P. fluorescens 92rk increased mycorrhizal colonization, suggesting that this strain is a mycorrhization helper bacterium. Finally, the bacterial strains and the AMF, alone or in combination, improved plant mineral nutrition by increasing leaf P content. These results support the potential use of fluorescent pseudomonads and AMF as mixed inoculants for tomato and suggest that improved tomato growth could be related to the increase in P acquisition.     

Phosphorus (P) efficiencies and mycorrhizal responsiveness of old and modern wheat cultivars

A pot experiment was carried out in a growth chamber to investigate P efficiencies and mycorrhizal responsiveness of modern (Krichauff and Excalibur) and old (Khapstein, Bobin, Comeback and Purple Straw) wheat cultivars (Triticum aestivum). The arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus (AMF) used in this study was Glomus intraradices. The growth medium was a soil/sand mixture with NaHCO₃-extractable P of 9.4 mg P kg^–1 and no extra P was added. Plant P efficiencies (uptake, utilisation and agronomic) were found to differ significantly between cultivars, but no general trends of changes with the year of release of the cultivar were found. AMF colonisation was found to decrease plant growth under our experimental conditions with low light intensity. Mycorrhizal responsiveness (MR) was measured in terms of the improvement in plant P nutrition (shoot P concentrations). MR was found to be generally lower in modern cultivars than in old cultivars, indicating that modern breeding programs may have reduced the responsiveness of modern wheat cultivars to arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. MR was also found to decrease in general with increased plant P utilisation efficiency.     

Root exudates of mycorrhizal tomato plants exhibit a different effect on microconidia germination of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici than root exudates from non-mycorrhizal tomato plants

The effect of root exudates from mycorrhizal and non-mycorrhizal tomato plants on microconidia germination of the tomato pathogen Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici was tested. Microconidia germination was enhanced in the presence of root exudates from mycorrhizal tomato plants. The more tomato plants were colonized by the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus Glomus mosseae, the more microconidia germination was increased, indicating that alterations of the exudation pattern depended on the degree of root AM colonization. Moreover, alterations of the exudation pattern of mycorrhizal plants are not only local, but also systemic. Testing the exudates from plants with a high and a low P level revealed that the alterations of the root exudates from mycorrhizal plants, resulting in a changed effect on microconidia germination, are not due to an improved P status of mycorrhizal plants.     

Arbuscular mycorrhiza alter the concentration of essential oils in oregano (Origanum sp., Lamiaceae)

The effect of root colonization by Glomus mosseae on the qualitative and quantitative pattern of essential oils (EO) was determined in three oregano genotypes (Origanum sp.). To exclude a simple P-mediated effect through mycorrhization the effect of P application to plants on the EO accumulation was also tested. In two genotypes the leaf biomass was increased through mycorrhization. Root colonization by the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus (AMF) did not have any significant effect on the EO composition in oregano; however, in two genotypes the EO concentration significantly increased. As EO levels in P-treated plants were not enhanced, we conclude that the EO increase observed in mycorrhizal oregano plants is not due to an improved P status in mycorrhizal plants, but depends directly on the AMF–oregano plant association.     

Effect of root exudates of mycorrhizal tomato plants on microconidia germination of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici

The effect of root exudates from mycorrhizal and non-mycorrhizal tomato plants on microconidia germination of the tomato pathogen Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici was tested. Microconidia germination was enhanced in the presence of root exudates from mycorrhizal tomato plants. Tomato plants were colonised by the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus Glomus fasciculatum, indicating that alterations of the exudation pattern depended on the degree of root AM colonisation. Testing the exudates from plants with a high and a low P level revealed that the alterations of the root exudates from mycorrhizal plants, resulting in a changed effect on microconidia germination, are not due to an improved P status of mycorrhizal plants.     

丛枝菌根真菌对不同番茄品种抗根结线虫病的影响

【背景】根结线虫病害严重制约我国设施蔬菜的生产。丛枝菌根真菌(Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi,AMF)作为土壤中最重要的有益真菌之一,可以促进植物生长,提高植物抗病性,减轻土传真菌和线虫病害的发生。在蔬菜保护地栽培中,AMF对于植物线虫病防治作用的研究受到了广泛关注。【目的】针对番茄生产中危害最严重的南方根结线虫(Meliodogyne incognita)病害问题,研究AMF和番茄品种不同组合的抗线虫效应,以期为菌根真菌作为生物防治剂和生物菌肥应用于实际生产提供技术基础。【方法】在灭菌土壤中,人工接种根结线虫,比较不同菌种Rhizophagus intraradices(Ri)、Acaulosporamellea(Am)及菌种组合Rhizophagusintraradices+Acaulosporamellea(Ri+Am)在不同番茄品种(感病品种蒙特卡罗和抗线虫品种仙客1号)上对南方根结线虫侵染和繁殖的影响,研究AMF对根结线虫的拮抗效应。另外,采用南方根结线虫连作发病的土壤,在感病品种蒙特卡洛上接种AMF混合菌种Ri+Am,番茄苗移栽入连作土壤中,测定各生长指标和调查根结和卵块数量,评价接种AMF处理对根结线虫病的防治效果。【结果】在灭菌土壤中,普通番茄品种蒙特卡罗的菌根效应显著优于抗线虫番茄品种仙客1号,表现为前者单位根重的根结和卵块的数量均比对照显著降低,而后者仅降低了卵块数量;蒙特卡罗上接种Ri+Am混合菌种的效果优于接种单一菌种Am和Ri;而仙客1号上接种Ri的效果更好。接种线虫也显著影响了AMF的侵染,而且对抗性品种仙客1号的影响更为明显。但除了接种Am的处理,大多数处理收获时菌根侵染率仍维持较高的水平(70%以上)。在连作土壤中,感病品种蒙特卡罗接种混合菌种Ri+Am具有较好的抗/耐线虫效应,主要表现为促进植株生长,显著降低根结和卵块数量,但菌根侵染率较灭菌土壤低,约为40%。【结论】综合以上结果,表明菌根化苗能够在一定程度上减轻根结线虫病的危害。土壤灭菌条件下,在感病和抗线虫番茄品种上接种AMF能够减轻线虫的侵染和繁殖,而且在感病品种上的防治效果更加显著。在连作土壤中,在番茄感病品种上接种AMF也表现较好的抗线虫效果。     

The sucrose transporter SlSUT2 from tomato interacts with brassinosteroid functioning and affects arbuscular mycorrhiza formation

Mycorrhizal plants benefit from the fungal partners by getting better access to soil nutrients. In exchange, the plant supplies carbohydrates to the fungus. The additional carbohydrate demand in mycorrhizal plants was shown to be balanced partially by higher CO₂ assimilation and increased C metabolism in shoots and roots. In order to test the role of sucrose transport for fungal development in arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) tomato, transgenic plants with down‐regulated expression of three sucrose transporter genes were analysed. Plants that carried an antisense construct of SlSUT2 (SlSUT2as) repeatedly exhibited increased mycorrhizal colonization and the positive effect of plants to mycorrhiza was abolished. Grafting experiments between transgenic and wild‐type rootstocks and scions indicated that mainly the root‐specific function of SlSUT2 has an impact on colonization of tomato roots with the AM fungus. Localization of SISUT2 to the periarbuscular membrane indicates a role in back transport of sucrose from the periarbuscular matrix into the plant cell thereby affecting hyphal development. Screening of an expression library for SlSUT2‐interacting proteins revealed interactions with candidates involved in brassinosteroid (BR) signaling or biosynthesis. Interaction of these candidates with SlSUT2 was confirmed by bimolecular fluorescence complementation. Tomato mutants defective in BR biosynthesis were analysed with respect to mycorrhizal symbiosis and showed indeed decreased mycorrhization. This finding suggests that BRs affect mycorrhizal infection and colonization. If the inhibitory effect of SlSUT2 on mycorrhizal growth involves components of BR synthesis and of the BR signaling pathway is discussed.     

Response of two tomato cultivars differing in salt tolerance to inoculation with mycorrhizal fungi under salt stress

Effects of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and salt stress on nutrient acquisition and growth of two tomato cultivars exhibiting differences in salt tolerance were investigated. Plants were grown in a sterilized, low-P (silty clay) soil-sand mix. Salt was applied at saturation extract (EC_e) values of 1.4 (control), 4.9 (medium) and 7.1 dS m^–1 (high salt stress). Mycorrhizal colonization occurred irrespective of salt stress in both cultivars, but AMF colonization was higher under control than under saline soil conditions. The salt-tolerant cultivar Pello showed higher mycorrhizal colonization than the salt-sensitive cultivar Marriha. Shoot dry matter (DM) yield and leaf area were higher in mycorrhizal than nonmycorrhizal plants of both cultivars. Shoot DM and leaf area but not root DM were higher in Pello than Marriha. The enhancement in shoot DM due to AMF inoculation was 22% and 21% under control, 31% and 58% under medium, and 18% and 59% under high salinity for Pello and Marriha, respectively. For both cultivars, the contents of P, K, Zn, Cu, and Fe were higher in mycorrhizal than nonmycorrhizal plants under control and medium saline soil conditions. The enhancement in P, K, Zn, Cu, and Fe acquisition due to AMF inoculation was more pronounced in Marriha than in the Pello cultivar under saline conditions. The results suggest that Marriha benefited more from AMF colonization than Pello under saline soil conditions, despite the fact that Pello roots were highly infected with the AMF. Thus, it appears that Marriha is more dependent on AMF symbiosis than Pello. Accepted: 22 January 2001     

Effects of arbuscular mycorrhiza (AM) on health ofLinum usitatissimum L. infected by fungal pathogens

Effects of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) symbiosis on health ofLinum usitatissimum infected by fungal pathogens were investigated exemplarily. Physiological and biochemical analyses were done to explain the mechanisms underlying the AM effects. AM plants showed increased resistance against the wilt pathogen (Fusarium oxysporum f. sp.lini), the level of this effects depended on the plant cultivars which all showed the same level of root colonization by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). In contrary to that, AM plants were highly susceptible against the shoot pathogenOidium lini, but they suffered less than non-AM plants in terms of shoot fresh weight, CO₂ assimilation and content of sucrose in shoot apex. This indicates that AM not only activates resistance mechanisms but also can induce tolerance against pathogens. The concentration of phytohormones such as auxin- and gibberellin-like substances were increased in shoots of AM plants. In roots the ethylene production was increased, too. Furthermore the content and composition of free sterols were highly altered in leaves of AM plants. Root infection by AMF caused an increased respiratory activity and a reduced degree of DNA methylation, but both modifications only occurred in infected root parts indicating an increasing gene activity. The presented results suggest that nearly all parts of a plant are influenced by AM but not in the same manner. In the case of mildewed linseed the effect of AM on plant health was impressing, it indicates that AM has an ability to induce tolerance.     

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi reduce growth and infect roots of the non‐host plant Arabidopsis thaliana

The arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) symbiosis is widespread throughout the plant kingdom and important for plant nutrition and ecosystem functioning. Nonetheless, most terrestrial ecosystems also contain a considerable number of non‐mycorrhizal plants. The interaction of such non‐host plants with AM fungi (AMF) is still poorly understood. Here, in three complementary experiments, we investigated whether the non‐mycorrhizal plant Arabidopsis thaliana, the model organism for plant molecular biology and genetics, interacts with AMF. We grew A. thaliana alone or together with a mycorrhizal host species (either Trifolium pratense or Lolium multiflorum) in the presence or absence of the AMF Rhizophagus irregularis. Plants were grown in a dual‐compartment system with a hyphal mesh separating roots of A. thaliana from roots of the host species, avoiding direct root competition. The host plants in the system ensured the presence of an active AM fungal network. AM fungal networks caused growth depressions in A. thaliana of more than 50% which were not observed in the absence of host plants. Microscopy analyses revealed that R. irregularis supported by a host plant was capable of infecting A. thaliana root tissues (up to 43% of root length colonized), but no arbuscules were observed. The results reveal high susceptibility of A. thaliana to R. irregularis, suggesting that A. thaliana is a suitable model plant to study non‐host/AMF interactions and the biological basis of AM incompatibility.     

Colonization with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi improves salinity tolerance of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) plants

The purpose of this study was to investigate the mechanisms underlying alleviation of salt stress by mycorrhization. Solanum lycopersicum L. cultivars Behta and Piazar with different salinity tolerance were cultivated in soil without salt (EC?=?0.63 dSm^?1), with low (EC?=?5 dSm^?1), or high (EC?=?10 dSm^?1) salinity. Plants inoculated with the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi Glomus intraradices (+AMF) were compared to non-inoculated plants (?AMF). Under salinity, AMF-mediated growth stimulation was higher in more salt tolerant Piazar than in sensitive Behta. Mycorrhization alleviated salt-induced reduction of P, Ca, and K uptake. Ca/Na and K/Na ratios were also better in +AMF. However, growth improvement by AMF was independent from plant P nutrition under high salinity. Mycorrhization improved the net assimilation rates through both elevating stomatal conductance and protecting photochemical processes of PSII against salinity. Higher activity of ROS scavenging enzymes was concomitant with lowering of H₂O_2, less lipid peroxidation, and higher proline in +AMF. Cultivar differences in growth responses to salinity and mycorrhization could be well explained by differences in ion balance, photochemistry, and gas exchange of leaves. Function of antioxidant defenses seemed responsible for different AMF-responsiveness of cultivars under salinity. In conclusion, AMF may protect plants against salinity by alleviating the salt-induced oxidative stress.     

Microconidia germination of the tomato pathogen Fusarium oxysporum in the presence of root exudates

Abstract

In this study we assessed microconidia germination of the tomato pathogens F. oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici (Fol) and F. oxysporum f. sp. radicis-lycopersici (Forl) in the presence of root exudates. Tomato root exudates stimulated microconidia germination and the level of stimulation was affected by plant age. Treatment of root exudates with insoluble polyvinylpolypyrrolidone, which binds phenolic compounds, indicated that tomato root exudates contain phenolic compounds inhibitory to F. oxysporum microconidia germination. Our study indicates that tomato root exudates similarly stimulate microconidia germination of both Fol and Forl. However, individual F. oxysporum strains differ in the degree of germination response to the root exudates. Furthermore, root exudates from non-host plants also contain compounds that stimulate microconidia germination of Fol. In general, the effects of root exudates from non-host plants did not differ considerably from those of tomato. The ability of phenolic compounds to inhibit germination of Fol seems not to be plant-specific.     

Root colonization by the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus Glomus mosseae and enhanced phosphorous levels in cucumber do not affect host acceptance and development of Frankliniella occidentalis

Abstract

We tested the effect of root colonization of cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) by the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus (AMF) Glomus mosseae on different parameters of a plant-thrips (Frankliniella occidentalis Pergande) interaction. In leaf disc bioassays, the feeding activity, the oviposition rate, the settling preference of adult females and the developmental time (first instar larva to adult) on leaves of mycorrhizal and non-mycorrhizal plants were studied. To distinguish between a nutritional effect through an improved phosphorous (P) status of the mycorrhizal plant and other effects caused by mycorrhization, non-mycorrhizal plants watered with a nutrient solution with (+P) or without P (?P) were included in the study. Mycorrhization did not affect any of the parameters on host acceptance tested, whereas on plants with a higher P-level the duration of the non-feeding stages (pronymphae, nymphae) of F. occidentalis was shortened, but all other developmental parameters were similar as in the control and the mycorrhizal plants. Our data indicate that the polyphagous thrips F. occidentalis is neither affected by mycorrhization of cucumber plants nor by enhanced P-levels.