Chin J Plant Ecol ›› 2026, Vol. 50 ›› Issue (3): 774-788.DOI: 10.17521/cjpe.2025.0388  cstr: 32100.14.cjpe.2025.0388

• Research Articles • Previous Articles    

Growth-promoting effects of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi combined with different functional bacteria on Medicago sativa

JIANG Qing-Hong1, DING Lu1, WANG Zhe1, ZHENG Chun-Li2,*(), FENG Zhao-Chuo1   

  1. 1 School of Energy and Environment, Inner Mongolia University of Science and Technology, Baotou, Nei Mongol 014010, China
    2 School of Resource and Environmental Engineering, Shanghai Polytechnic University, Shanghai 201209, China
  • Received:2025-10-27 Accepted:2026-03-11 Online:2026-03-20 Published:2026-04-22
  • Contact: ZHENG Chun-Li
  • Supported by:
    Nei Mongol Natural Science Foundation(2023MS04010);Fundamental Research Funds for the Universities of Nei Mongol Autonomous Region(2024XKJX016);Fundamental Research Funds for the Universities of Nei Mongol Autonomous Region(2023CXPT004);National Natural Science Foundation of China(52264013)

Abstract:

Aims The semi-arid coal mining area of Ordos has long faced challenges such as poor soil fertility and difficulties in plant establishment. Microorganisms and plants are closely interconnected components of ecosystems. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) can form mutualistic symbioses with plants and promote nutrient cycling within soil ecosystems. However, studies investigating the combined effects of AMF and different functional bacteria on soil properties and herbaceous plant growth remain limited. In this study, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi were combined with three functional bacteria in various inoculation treatments and applied to the roots of alfalfa (Medicago sativa). The study evaluated their effects on improving the physicochemical properties of semi-arid soils in the Ordos coal mining area and their growth-promoting effects on plants.

Methods In this study, we combine arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi with three functional bacteria in multiple combinations to inoculate the alfalfa roots, investigate their improvement effects on the physicochemical properties of semi-arid soils in Ordos coal mining area and the growth-promoting effects on plants in the region.

Important findings Our results reveal that, compared with only growing alfalfa, the AMF + Rhizobium + Bacillus megaterium (ARB) system significantly enhanced the nutrient levels in the soil of alfalfa roots. Contents of soil organic matter, total nitrogen, and available phosphorous increased by 93.7%, 117.6% and 215.6%, respectively. This treatment also enhanced the stress resistance of plants and promotes its growth. The AMF infection rate in alfalfa roots increased by 76.9%, the primary roots increased by 53.2, the lateral root length increased by 8 cm, and the aboveground biomass of alfalfa increased by 168.0%. High-throughput sequencing results showed that in the ARB treatment, the relative abundances of the genera such as Sphingomonas, and Arthrobacterincreased, becoming dominant genera. These findings provide a scientific basis for addressing soil infertility and difficulties in plant establishment challenges in semi-arid mining areas.

Key words: arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, bacterial-fungal combination, plant growth promotion, soil microbial remediation, Medicago sativa