Question

why wheat and sunflower differ in mycorrhizal dependency

Answer 1

Mycorrhizal plants often have greater tolerance to drought and other problems than nonmycorrhizal plants and the effects of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi inoculation varied among different species of plants. The most common type of mycorrhiza is the arbuscular type, that is it present in 70% of plant species, including many crop plants such as wheat.

The oil content of sunflower seeds was significantly affected by mycorrhizal inoculation, while the root arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal colonization was positively correlated the grain yield of wheat with decreasing straw biomass. In wheat, it induce growth, grain yield and mineral acquisition. The mycorrhizal highest effect in sunflower plants increases the grain yield and nutrient content of sunflower seeds.