Grape Days 2024 | Vineyard management systems influence on Mycorrhizal fungi | Dr Romy Moukarzel

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) offer significant potential for sustainable agriculture ecosystems, including vineyards. We showed that AMF had a positive influence on vine growth, nutrient uptake, and tolerance to environmental and biological stresses.
Understanding how management practices affect AMF diversity and composition is crucial for harnessing their benefits. We surveyed twelve vineyards in the Marlborough region to compare AMF communities in conventional and organic systems. Using grapevine roots from different rootstocks, AMF spores were isolated via trap culture and identified through next-generation sequencing. The AMF belonged to Glomeraceae, followed by Claroideoglomeraceae and Diversisporaceae.
Our findings showed differences in the AMF diversity between organic and conventional vineyards, with significant interactions between rootstock and management practice. This indicated that some rootstocks might be more suited to organic systems due to the AMF communities they support under this management practice. This could provide an increased benefit under organic systems supporting higher biodiversity.
This was presented at Grape Days Marlborough 2024.