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Open research questions in Mycorrhizal Fungi and Plant Interactions

1,082 gap statements mined from Mycorrhizal Fungi and Plant Interactions papers in our 7.9M-paper local library, which holds 3,169 papers on the topic — drawn mostly from each paper's own stated research gap, future-work, challenge and limitation notes, and its abstract. The ones listed below are a selection still marked open; each names the study that raised it, with a DOI link where the paper has one.

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What the literature leaves open

  • Maintaining soil health while increasing crop productivity is a major challenge in modern agriculture. Understanding the effects of mycorrhiza helper bacteria in intercropping systems is complex due to the interactions between plants, microbes, and soil.

    Higher Growth Promotion of Maize (Zea mays L.) than Soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merrill] by Mycorrhiza Helper Kitasatospora in an Intercropping System · 2026 · DOI

  • The mechanisms by which plants reshape soil microbial communities in ways that contribute to sand fixation are not well understood. The role of Glomeromycota in soil microbial communities and its relationship with sand fixation is not clear.

    Higher Relative Abundance of Glomeromycota in Topsoil Under Caragana korshinskii Sand-Fixation Patterns in the Mu Us Sandy Land · 2026 · DOI

  • The diversity of AMF in Kuwait's arid desert ecosystems is not well understood. There is a need to investigate the existence of AMF in the roots of native and non-native grasses in Kuwait.

    Diversity of Arbuscular Mycorrhiza Fungi in the Arid Desert Ecosystems of Kuwait: Detection and Identification from Perennial Native Grass Roots · 2025 · DOI

  • Previous studies in Morocco have relied exclusively on morphological approaches to identify and characterize AMF communities. The paper does not explicitly state the research gap, but it presents a new approach to characterizing AMF in Morocco.

    Morphological and Molecular Characterization of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi from the Rhizosphere of Date Palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) in the Oasis of Figuig, Morocco · 2025 · DOI

  • Current management practices predominantly emphasize plant species composition, landscape aesthetics, and infrastructure maintenance, with relatively limited attention directed toward soil microbial communities. There is a need to understand how different types of urban green spaces influence the diversity and community assembly of AMF.

    The Assembly Mechanisms of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi in Urban Green Spaces and Their Response to Environmental Factors · 2025 · DOI

  • Large-scale application is limited by slow in-vitro growth and inconsistent inoculation success, - Limited research on optimal oxygen concentration for L.

    Mycoforestry with the Saffron Milk Cap (Lactarius deliciosus L.:Fr. S.F. Gray) and Its Potential as a Large-Scale Food Production System · 2025 · DOI

  • One challenge is the need to identify effective biocontrol yeasts against Botrytis cinerea and Fusarium fujikuroi. Another challenge is the requirement to examine the production of hydrolytic enzymes by the selected yeasts. The paper also faces the challenge of scaling up the biocontrol method to reduce post-harvest spoilage in a sustainable manner.

    Biocontrol Potential of Selected Phyllospheric Yeasts Against Botrytis cinerea and Fusarium fujikuroi · 2025 · DOI

  • Lack of records of Calocybe in Shanxi Province. Insufficient knowledge of Calocybe species in the region.

    Species Diversity of Calocybe (Agaricales, Lyophyllaceae) from Shanxi Province of Northern China · 2025 · DOI

  • Anthropogenic nitrogen (N) deposition is increasing globally and has been documented to enhance soil carbon (C) storage; however, its concurrent effects on ecosystem phosphorus (P) limitation remain unclear.

    Mycorrhizal Symbiosis Alleviates Nitrogen‐Induced Phosphorus Limitation in Terrestrial Ecosystems · 2026 · DOI

  • Yet the diversity of native arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) remains underexplored in this region, despite their central role in nutrient cycling, soil aggregation, and ecosystem functioning.

    Soil Texture and Chemical Properties Influence Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi Abundance, Diversity, and Richness in East African Rangelands · 2026 · DOI

  • While arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) have been proposed to alleviate drought stress and to enhance plant resistance to herbivory, their role in mediating plant responses to the two combined pressures remains poorly understood.

    Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi Mitigate Drought‐Enhanced Herbivore Performance in Maize · 2026 · DOI

  • However, their role in mediating insect resistance in vegetable crops remains poorly understood.

    Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi Enhance Growth and Defense Against Spodoptera litura in Lactuca sativa · 2026 · DOI

  • How these species acquire P and how their acquisition coordinates with root and leaf traits remain unknown.

    Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi May Account for a Phosphorus‐Facilitation Strategy · 2026 · DOI

  • Root nitrogen (N) uptake strategies are shaped by both functional traits and mycorrhizal type, yet how these factors interact remains unclear.

    Mycorrhizal Type Steers Trait–Function Linkages in Root Nitrogen Uptake Across Subtropical Tree Species · 2026 · DOI

  • Although arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are known to enhance sulfur uptake through symbiosis, the molecular mechanisms underlying AMF-mediated sulfur transport and assimilation remain poorly understood.

    A Hyphal‐Mycorrhizal Framework for Interpreting Sulfur Transport and Assimilation‐Related Transcriptional Responses Between AMF Extraradical Hyphae and Mycorrhizal Roots in Soybean · 2026 · DOI

  • Black fungi are among the most stress-resistant organisms known, yet the genetic and ecological foundations of their extraordinary resilience remain poorly understood.

    Genomic and Ecological Flexibility Shape the Global Distribution of a Black Fungus · 2026 · DOI

  • Thus, this opinion paper aimed to summarize the research on AMF inoculant storage, highlight the most decisive factors in mycorrhizal inoculant production, understudied, such as cryopreservation and alginate beads, to preserve AMF propagules, and what the next steps are in the research on AMF inoculant storage.

    Shelf-life and storage conditions of AMF inocula: a neglected factor in inoculum application · 2026 · DOI

  • Although shrub encroachment has been studied for its effects on fungal communities, the influence of a specific shrub species on belowground fungal communities across grasslands remains unclear.

    Effects of Juniperus communis encroachment on soil and root fungal communities in subalpine grasslands · 2026 · DOI

  • However, whether mycorrhizal inoculation is an option to enhance the in vitro anti-inflammatory activity remains unclear.

    Mycorrhizal consortium in the rhizosphere enhances foliar in vitro anti-inflammatory activity of Schinus terebinthifolia · 2026 · DOI

  • Microbial inoculants can strongly influence plant performance, yet their success depends on interactions with native soil microbial communities, which remain poorly understood across plant functional types.

    Evaluation of competitive or synergistic effects on plant and rhizosphere responses to feremycorrhizal fungus Austroboletus occidentalis under contrasting substrate ecologies · 2026 · DOI

  • However, the effect of this strategy on foliar antioxidant bioactivities remains unknown.

    Performance of Acaulospora longula soil-inoculum grown under contrasting phosphorus supply on foliar antioxidant bioactivity of maize · 2026 · DOI

  • Nutrient allocation within the AMF-plant-herbivore triad is a pivotal yet poorly understood driver of multitrophic interactions.

    Nutrient allocation in mycorrhizal-plant-herbivore interactions · 2026 · DOI

  • Further studies are needed to explore the effects of MH bacteria on different crops and soils, - Research on the optimal application rates and timing of MH bacteria inoculation is needed, - Studies on the long-term effects of MH bacteria on soil health and crop productivity…

    Higher Growth Promotion of Maize (Zea mays L.) than Soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merrill] by Mycorrhiza Helper Kitasatospora in an Intercropping System · 2026 · DOI

  • Validation of sequence-based patterns by direct measurements of fungal biomass, glomalin concentration and soil aggregation, - Investigation of the causal relationship between C.

    Higher Relative Abundance of Glomeromycota in Topsoil Under Caragana korshinskii Sand-Fixation Patterns in the Mu Us Sandy Land · 2026 · DOI

  • Further research on technical developments for large-scale mycoforestry systems, - Investigation of optimal oxygen concentration for L. deliciosus, - Study of factors influencing optimal in-vitro pH, - Exploration of genetic variability and localized adaptation in L.

    Mycoforestry with the Saffron Milk Cap (Lactarius deliciosus L.:Fr. S.F. Gray) and Its Potential as a Large-Scale Food Production System · 2025 · DOI

Most-cited papers in Mycorrhizal Fungi and Plant Interactions

Most recent work

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Open questions raised by papers listed on this page include: (1) The mechanisms by which plants reshape soil microbial communities in ways that contribute to sand fixation are not well understood (“Higher Relative Abundance of Glomeromycota in Topsoil Under Caragana…”, 2026); (2) Anthropogenic nitrogen (N) deposition is increasing globally and has been documented to enhance soil carbon (C) storage; however, its concurrent effects on ecosystem phosphorus (P) limitation remain unclear (“Mycorrhizal Symbiosis Alleviates Nitrogen‐Induced Phosphorus Limitation in…”, 2026); (3) Yet the diversity of native arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) remains underexplored in this region, despite their central role in nutrient cycling, soil aggregation, and ecosystem functioning (“Soil Texture and Chemical Properties Influence Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi…”, 2026); (4) While arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) have been proposed to alleviate drought stress and to enhance plant resistance to herbivory, their role in mediating plant responses to the two combined pressures remains poorly understood (“Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi Mitigate Drought‐Enhanced Herbivore Performance in…”, 2026); (5) Their role in mediating insect resistance in vegetable crops remains poorly understood (“Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi Enhance Growth and Defense Against Spodoptera…”, 2026). 1,082 gap statements have been mined from Mycorrhizal Fungi and Plant Interactions papers in our 7.9M-paper local library, which holds 3,169 papers on the topic; the gaps come from whichever of those papers state one. They are mostly the research gaps the authors state and the papers' abstracts, plus future-work, limitations and challenges passages. The ones listed below are a selection still marked open; each names the study that raised it, with a DOI link where the paper has one, so you can read the original claim in context.

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