Inoculation with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi: the status quo in Japan and the future prospects

Inoculation of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi has potential benefits in not only sustainable crop production but also environmental conservation. However, the difficulty of inoculum production due to the obligate biotrophic nature of AM fungi has been the biggest obstacle to putting inoculation into practice. Nevertheless, several companies have sought to produce inoculum of AM fungi. Firstly in this review, the present status of inoculum production and its use in Japan is described. Secondly, although the effectiveness of inoculation is primarily limited by environmental and biological factors, some possible ways to improve inoculation performance are discussed. Approaches include use of chemicals to increase spore germination and colonization and soil application of charcoal to provide a microhabitat for AM fungi to colonize and survive.